Vermont couple, 76 and 79, are attacked by a rabid coyote while walking on their farm before the husband grabs his shotgun and shoots the creature dead
- George and Priscilla Gilman were attacked by a rabid coyote Monday morning
- They were walking around their farm when the coyote appeared and charged
- George, 79, was bitten in his right leg and Priscilla, 76, was bitten on her right forearm and leg in the frenzied attack
- They ran towards their home where George grabbed his shotgun
- He charged towards the animal and the coyote put its mouth on the barrel of the gun in its rabid craze before George pulled the trigger
- The Vermont Fish & Wildlife confirmed that the coyote tested positive for rabies
- Vermont Game Warden Dale Whitlock said the beast smelled and could have been bitten by a rabid skunk
A Vermont couple has been attacked by a rabid coyote, in what state wildlife officials are assuring the public is an 'extremely rare' case.
George Gilman, 79, and his wife Priscilla Gilman, 76, were walking on their farm on Monday morning in the small town of Salisbury when the coyote appeared and launched its frenzied attack, officials with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife said.
George suffered bites to his right leg and Priscilla suffered bites to her right forearm and left leg in the attack by the animal that weighed an estimated 40 pounds.
Gilman was able to escape the fight with the wild animal, grab his shotgun from his home, and kill the coyote.
Vermont couple George Gilman, 79, and his wife Priscilla Gilman, 76, were attacked by a rabid coyote as they were walking on their Salisbury farm on Monday morning. File image above
Following the attack the the Gilmans were taken to a local hospital and treated for bite wounds on their arms and legs and they were also administered four rabies vaccines.
Priscilla said the wild animal 'just came out of nowhere'.
'It attacked and kept going at both of us. My husband kicked him in the head, and the coyote would back up and lunge at us again,' she said to the Rutland Herald.
'He went for my husband’s throat and bit me in my arm and leg. I was just trying to get away and keep him from killing us. My husband kicked it and said, "Head for the house." We took off, and my husband was behind me,' she added.
She ran to the home and George headed back out with his shotgun.
'We have a horse and a barn cat we take care of and my husband wanted to make sure that coyote was dead so he wouldn’t bite somebody else,' she said.
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The Vermont Fish & Wildlife confirmed that the coyote tested positive for rabies
They stressed that finding rabid coyotes is extremely rare
As George charged towards the coyote, the rabid beast ran right towards him.
'The coyote put his mouth right over the barrel of the gun and then let go and my husband just shot him, right there,' Priscilla said.
That coyote was tested positive for rabies, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife confirmed on Wednesday on Facebook.
Vermont Game Warden Dale Whitlock (above) said the beast smelled and could have been bitten by a rabid skunk
'The Department of Health has confirmed that the coyote did test positive for rabies. It's worth reiterating that these cases are extremely rare and that we don't have any concerns at this time about a rabies outbreak among Vermont's coyote population,' the organization posted.
Vermont Game Warden Dale Whitlock rushed to the scene after hearing of the attack and said that the coyote had the 'faint odor of a skunk' to it and could've been bitten by a rabid skunk.
Whitlock, who has worked as a warden for 23 years, says he's never heard of a wild coyote attack in Vermont and called the incident 'extremely unusual behavior'.
Though shocked, George and Priscilla say they won't let the attack hinder them from exploring the great outdoors.
'We’re not going to stay in the house and be scared. We walk a lot. I do a lot of hiking. I just hope we never run into something like this again,' she said.
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