PITTSBURGH,None — A coyote was found near Perry High School in Pittsburgh Wednesday.
The dead animal was found by Channel 11 viewer Jason Basham.
Basham took pictures of the coyote along Interstate 279 at the McKnight Road entrance ramp. Warning: The pictures are graphic.
SLIDESHOW: Coyote Found In Pittsburgh; Warning: Graphic Pictures
The coyote appeared to have been in good health before it was killed (probably struck by a car).
Basham said it had a good coat and looked well fed with clean, healthy teeth and gums. It weighed an estimated 30 pounds.
According to Wikipedia, "coyotes are opportunistic, versatile carnivores with a 90 percent mammalian diet, depending on the season. They primarily eat small mammals, such as voles, prairie dogs, eastern cottontails, ground squirrels and mice, though they will eat birds, snakes, lizards, deer, javelina and livestock, as well as large insects and other large invertebrates. Any species of birds that nests on the ground are targeted by coyotes. Though they will consume large amounts of carrion, they tend to prefer fresh meat."
"Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon and rarely cause serious injuries, due to the relatively small size of the coyote. There are only two recorded fatalities in North America from coyote attacks. In 1981 in Glendale, Calif., a coyote attacked toddler Kelly Keen, who was rescued by her father, but died in surgery due to blood loss and a broken neck. In October 2009, Taylor Mitchell, a 19-year-old folk singer on tour, died from injuries sustained in an attack by a pair of coyotes while hiking in the Skyline Trail of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia, Canada."
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