An Arizona mother successfully defended her 4-year-old daughter from a coyote attack, using a flip-flop as a makeshift weapon and sustaining a bite to her own face in the process.
Brittany Cardinal and her daughter were flying a kite in their neighborhood when the coyote began to nip at the child. Cardinal recounted that after picking up her daughter and yelling at the animal to deter it, the coyote did not retreat. She then removed her flip-flop and attempted to hit the animal with it.
During the struggle, Cardinal fell, and the coyote bit her on the face. She described not feeling pain at the moment of the bite, only pressure. Both mother and daughter were eventually able to escape and return home. Cardinal sustained lacerations and puncture wounds.
Arizona Game and Fish officials have since removed several coyotes from the area and are testing them for rabies. Officials stated that Cardinal's actions, such as fighting back and yelling at the animal, were appropriate responses to a coyote attack. Alex Flickinger, a community liaison for Arizona Game and Fish, emphasized the importance of making noise and using available objects to drive off such animals.