Trip to the mailbox for Halloween costume takes a turn for the worse
A 5-year-old girl narrowly avoided being attacked by a coyote that wandered into her front yard in Villa Park, Illinois.
Christine Przybylski had gone outside to check if her Halloween costume had arrived in the mail.
Security camera footage shows her walking back up towards the house after finding out the mail hadn’t come yet.
A coyote can be seen running in front of the house as it stops and spots Przybylski.
Przybylski is completely unaware she has company as she decides to go for a swing before returning back inside.
“I decided to go to the swing,” Christine said. “When I went to the swing he run by and I was like, going, and then I was like ‘Oh my god.'”
She doesn’t realize the coyote is there until she’s right at her swing and it comes running up.
Close call is an understatement
It’s obvious she’s scared as soon as she sees it charge up. She quickly turns and runs away, but the coyote quickly chases after her.
The coyote quickly closes the distance between them and looks ready to attack. Fortunately, it only gets close enough to touch her before darting away.
“We heard the scream,” her mom Elizabeth Przybylski said. “She came in with this wild story.”
Her parents realized just how close their daughter came to being seriously hurt after they pulled up the security footage.
“He really pursued her violently, and I’m so glad she got away,” Elizabeth said.
Rachel Torbert, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources told USA TODAY that the best way deal with encountering a coyote is to “yell, throw things, wave your arms,” and not run away.
That’s easier said than done when the coyote is running after a kid.
Christine’s parents said it will be a while before they’ll let their daughter in the front yard without them.
