2 coyote attacks prompt California city to close trail

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP) — Two people were bitten by a coyote in two separate attacks on a Southern California trail on Saturday, authorities said.

A woman told Mission Viejo’s animal control officers she was jogging on the Jeronimo Open Space when a coyote bit her lower left calf, leaving four puncture wounds, city spokeswoman Kelly Tokarski told The Orange County Register.

A second person said they were bitten on the left ankle while they were on the trail around 6:30 a.m., Tokarski said.

Both went to the hospital for treatment.

While coyote bites to humans are rare, Tokarski said the city decided to close the trail pending an investigation by Animal Services officers and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.