After undergoing DNA testing, Chicago Animal Care and Control confirmed Sunday that the coyote captured earlier this month was the same animal involved in the attack with a 6-year-old boy in Lincoln Park.
"Through evaluation, it was determined that the animal had been shot in the chest with a BB gun, which could have caused the limp in its movements as well as the aggressive behavior," said the CACC in a statement released Sunday.
The coyote was chased by officials through several city blocks until they finally captured the injured creature in the 1700 block of North Dayton St. on Jan. 9. Police said the animal was "safely darted" with a tranquilizer before being taken away by authorities to a local rehabilitation center for evaluation.
"We want to thank our city, county, state and federal partners for their resources and support during the successful and safe capture of the coyote," officials stated in the press release.
"Coyotes are common throughout the Chicagoland area and protected under the Illinois Wildlife Code," the CACC said, adding that "it remains extremely rare for a coyote to approach or bite a person."
Earlier in the month of January however, the same coyote reportedly attacked a 6-year-old boy in the Lincoln Park area, leaving the boy hospitalized with wounds to his face.
According to the CACC, The animal will remain at the local wildfire rehabilitation center.
There are approximately 2,000 coyotes in the Chicago area, according to researchers.
