Police in Marblehead are asking residents of the North Shore town to report any sightings of coyotes after one of the animals bit a jogger on Monday evening.
The jogger was on Brown Street in the Marblehead Neck area, and reported being bitten by a dog, police wrote in a Facebook post. Officials subsequently determined the animal was a coyote. The jogger’s injuries were not considered life-threatening.
“We are asking the residents on the Neck to be aware and to report any sightings of coyotes they may see during daylight hours for the next couple of days,” police wrote.
Police are asking residents to report any sightings to determine if the biting animal was rabid, saying that if it was, its health would “decline rapidly” in the next few days. Although rabies is rare, the department said it wanted to take extra precautions to ensure residents’ safety.
The coyote attack could have been an isolated incident and brought on by the animal being startled by the jogger, police said.
Local police and animal control along with Environmental Police are “aware of the situation” and will monitor the area.
