0 0 6 , ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 6 0 ▁attacks ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁mostly ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁County ▁area . ▁Data ▁from ▁the ▁US DA ' s ▁Wild life ▁Services , ▁the ▁California ▁Department ▁of ▁Fish ▁and ▁Wild life , ▁and ▁other ▁sources ▁show ▁that ▁while ▁ 4 1 ▁attacks ▁occurred ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 8 – 1 9 9 7 , ▁ 4 8 ▁attacks ▁were ▁verified ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁through ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁these ▁inc idents ▁occurred ▁in ▁Southern ▁California ▁near ▁the ▁sub urban - w ild land ▁interface . ▁ ▁Co y otes ▁are ▁losing ▁their ▁fear ▁of ▁humans , ▁which ▁is ▁further ▁w ors ened ▁by ▁people ▁intention ally ▁or ▁un int ention ally ▁feed ing ▁co y otes . ▁In ▁such ▁situations , ▁some ▁co y otes ▁have ▁begun ▁to ▁act ▁ag gress ively ▁toward ▁humans , ▁ch asing ▁jog gers ▁and ▁b icy cl ists , ▁confront ing ▁people ▁walking ▁their ▁dogs , ▁and ▁st alk ing ▁small ▁children . ▁ ▁Although ▁media ▁reports ▁of ▁such ▁attacks ▁generally ▁identify ▁the ▁animals ▁in ▁question ▁as ▁simply ▁" co y otes ", ▁research ▁into ▁the ▁gen et ics ▁of ▁the ▁eastern ▁co y ote ▁indicates ▁those ▁involved ▁in ▁attacks ▁in ▁n ortheast ▁North ▁America , ▁including ▁Pennsylvania , ▁New ▁York , ▁New ▁England , ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Canada , ▁may ▁have ▁actually ▁been ▁co yw ol ves , ▁hy br ids ▁of