Animals such as raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats can also get rabies. Annually about 20 to 50 animals are confirmed as rabid by lab testing throughout the county. Rabies is consistently present in wildlife populations at lower, manageable levels, police said. Police said most of the calls were not within the immediate Lake Accotink area and were reported several miles from the park throughout the greater Springfield area. There was no mention of symptoms or behavior consistent with rabies in the event notes.” “A patrol unit provided him a ride out of the park. “The caller was fearful that the coyotes might attack him and requested an escort from the park,” police said. “The behavior described sounded like the coyote was engaged in ‘escorting’ behavior where coyotes will sometimes escort people and pets out of their territory, especially if there might be a den nearby.”Īnother call in June reported a coyote “circling, barking, and snarling” at Greentree Village Park, and on Monday, July 18, a caller said he was approached by coyotes twice in Lake Accotink Park but was able to scare them away. “The event notes stated the coyote seemed to be displaying normal behavior per the conversation with the caller,” police said. In one call reported in June, a coyote followed a person on a trail, but when Animal Protection Police arrived, the animal was gone.

“Based on the information received, the Animal Protection Police and Wildlife Management Specialist do not consider there to be an increased threat of rabies at Lake Accotink Park,” Animal Protection Police said.

Seven of those reported coyote sightings involved the animals living close to people but displaying normal behavior, two reported injured coyotes, and the others shared concerns.Īnimal Protection Police says most of the behavior reported is not indicative of sick or rabid animals, “especially given the time of year with coyotes raising pups.” Park ecologists were also monitoring the site and did not detect any unusual wildlife behavior on camera, police said. Since then, there have been 12 calls for service related to coyotes in the Springfield area. The coyote that was spotted in June displaying signs of rabies - biting vehicle tires and other aggressive behavior - was killed after he bit an officer.

However, they say rabid coyotes are relatively rare, and none of the calls have indicated the animals sighted have rabies.Ĭoyotes are well-established in the county, and it’s normal to see them in parks and residential neighborhoods. “The recent incident of the rabid coyote at Lake Accotink has understandably created concerns for many residents about wildlife and public health and safety,” the Animal Protection Police said. Dan Spital talks to the media at Lake Accotink after a coyote bit three adults and two dogs (via Fairfax County Police Department)įairfax County Animal Protection has seen an increase in the number of coyote-related calls since a rabid coyote bit three adults, two dogs and an officer last month.

Rabid coyote sounds