After at least four coyote attacks, Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, are being advised against jogging in the Wallace Creek area of the base at night.
An official in the game warden’s office at the Marine Corps base told Marine Corps Times on Friday that the advisory was still in effect.
There have been four reported coyote attacks in vicinity of the II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group area command, according to a Wednesday Facebook post. The most recent attack occurred at 4 a.m.
“Until further notice, please do not run in this area after dark until the animal can be removed,” the post read.
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The Marines and sailors were bitten on their legs, but the injuries were not serious, Nat Fahy, a Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, spokesman told Military.com.
“They all received medical treatment … including rabies post-exposure treatment, which is standard protocol,” Fahy said.
Fahy said the game warden’s office believes the same coyote was involved in the attacks.
Situated near the North Carolina coast, Camp Lejeune sits on 161,000 acres of federal land with 26,000 acres of water bodies. Defense Department personnel are allowed to hunt and fish on the undeveloped property.
Coyote attacks are rare, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, but certain measures ― like refraining from feeding the animal ― should be taken to prevent any conflict.
The coyote population has grown significantly across North Carolina since the late 1970s, the commission said, and encounters with humans have become more common as a result. Hunting coyotes is permitted by state law, but it’s unclear if that’s the case on Camp LeJeune.
Because of the base’s proximity to nature, contact with wildlife is common. Marines at nearby Air Station New River were warned against feeding an alligator in 2018.
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