New Jersey man attacked by coyote while doing yard work

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. -- A man was attacked by a coyote while he worked in his yard in New Jersey.

The man in Saddle River was able to escape the coyote that attacked him Monday morning. He was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

John Zeug has a huge bandage covering three puncture wounds on his left leg where he was bitten. "Kind of scared me, because that doesn't happen with coyotes in the daytime and attacking a full-size adult. It's kind of unheard of," said Zeug.

He said he had seen the coyote in the three days leading up to the attack and it did not seem aggressive to him.

It turns out the coyote's den was under his cabin, in a storage shed that had a litter under it. All of the babies had died.

Conservation officers determined it was the same coyote that injured a neighbor's dog last week and the dog needed treatment by a veterinarian.

Police and state wildlife officials found the coyote in the woods, where it was euthanized. They tracked the animal down because it was not acting normal.

"When we came in contact with her the first time, she was not scared of us," said Saddle River Police Captain Jason Cosgriff. "She didn't run like any of the other coyotes or most of the other wildlife here in Saddle River we come in contact with. Kind of challenged us and moved away."

If the coyote is determined to have had rabies, Zeug could need extended medical care.

Anyone with a similar case is asked to call 201-327-5300.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.