A woman was bitten on the hand by a coyote at a Clinton residence on Whidbey Island the morning of Saturday, Oct. 24, after she and her partner witnessed the animal attacking their domestic goose and stepped in, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed in a statement released Monday, Oct. 26. I read the agency’s official newsroom notice, which says WDFW Police officers received the report of the incident that same Monday morning. The agency did not say whether the goose survived.
Island County has seen regular coyote activity, and WDFW notes that the animals are present in all of Washington’s counties. The department says coyote attacks on people are rare, but that conflicts can spike in fall when pups disperse and adults hunt more actively to feed growing families. This is the first documented human-coyote incident with injuries on Whidbey Island that WDFW has reported this year, according to the statement.
What WDFW recommends
The department asks anyone who encounters a coyote acting aggressively to report it to their regional office, and it advises against feeding coyotes or leaving pet food and garbage accessible. Domestic birds, like the goose in this case, can draw coyotes into yards, so securing coops and pens is a practical step for Whidbey Island residents. If you keep poultry, you may want to review the same precautions that apply to other wildlife drawn to yards, just as raccoons are attracted to accessible food sources , the risks of close encounters extend beyond coyotes, as outlined in our guide on whether raccoons are dangerous to humans.
Anyone bitten by a coyote should immediately wash the wound thoroughly and contact a healthcare provider, since the animal may carry diseases such as rabies, WDFW said. The agency is investigating the incident but has not released further details about the coyote’s fate.
The notice is published by Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife at wdfw.wa.gov.
