Surprise Mother Fights Off Coyote Attacking Daughter

Brittany Cardinal was flying a kite with her 4-year-old daughter in their Surprise, Arizona, neighborhood when a coyote began nipping at the child. Cardinal picked up her daughter, yelled at the animal and fought it with a flip-flop; during the struggle, the coyote knocked her down and bit her face. The mother and daughter eventually escaped to their home, and Cardinal was treated for facial lacerations and puncture wounds. Arizona Game and Fish officials said the attack’s cause remains unclear, several coyotes were removed from the area for rabies testing, and Cardinal followed recommended advice to fight back and make noise during a coyote attack. Officials said it was the first recorded coyote attack on a person in the Phoenix-area Valley since December 2023.