Colorado officials are hunting a coyote that attacked and injured a 4-year-old girl

Associated Press/Report for America

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are hunting a coyote that attacked a 4-year-old girl on Thanksgiving after she mistook it for a dog crouching behind a tree. The young girl and another child approached the coyote near Colorado Springs, about an hour’s drive south of Denver. The animal lunged, grabbing the back of her head causing serious injuries before her father scared it away. The girl spent a night in the hospital. CPW officers are now hunting for any coyotes in the vicinity of the attack, since it’s impossible to identify the exact coyote. The search is expected to take several days.