SWAMPSCOTT, MASS. (WHDH) - A Swampscott man received a puncture wound in his leg after he was bitten by a coyote near his car.
According to Swampscott Police, John Malafronte was outside the Paradise Road Santander Bank at around 6 a.m., talking on his phone and not paying attention to his surroundings. While he was on the phone, a coyote approached him from behind and bit him on the leg. Malafronte then grabbed a wooden pole from his truck and chased the coyote into the woods. He told police the coyote seemed young and healthy.
Police said that they saw a small coyote escape through a fence towards a golf course after checking the area.
“We have big malls here – lot of food bins, dumpsters and such there’s a lot of people around. A lot of [coyote’s] become immune to being around humans and they’re very territorial,” said Swampscott Police Sargent Jay Locke.
Although the man received a puncture wound, he denied medical attention at the scene and said he would take himself to the ER. Malafronte said he is being treated for rabies because it is unknown whether that coyote has the disease.
“Hopefully it doesn’t happen to anyone else,” said Malafronte. “It could have been a lot worse.”
An animal control officer is actively searching for the coyote.
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