A vicious coyote was caught on CCTV attacking a toddler in front of a horrified dad.
The shocking incident happened on Friday outside the family's home in Los Angeles, in the US, after CCTV footage captured the moment a child was dragged by her feet by a coyote before being rescued by her father.
In the footage the toddler's dad can be seen loading up his black SUV before a coyote creeps up on the child.
The wild dog runs up to the toddler and attacks the girl, who falls to the ground, as her dad is forced to come to her rescue.
The two-year-old sobs after the frightening incident as her dad frantically runs over and angrily shouts at the coyote.
He then picks up a plastic water bottle and launches at the coyote to try and scare the animal away.
Dad Ariel Eliyahuo told NBC 4: “I heard her screaming and crying and I thought she fell down and I saw the coyote was there.”
Parents in the local neighbourhood are worried for other children after the attack left the family shaken.
Mum Shira Eliyahuo revealed the toddler had scratches and blood on her clothing after the vicious mauling.
She said: “I saw her pants were stained with blood, then I took them off and noticed they had scratches."
The parents went to the local hospital to get a rabies shot for their child.
She added: “We had to get a rabies shot and just hope everything is going to be ok."
Her family said their daughter is traumatised by the experience and is still too scared to venture outside.
Shira, who has lived in the Woodland Hills area for the last three years, has admitted they've seen coyotes before but they normally scamper.
She said: “There are a lot of coyotes here we see but they usually run away."
Police took the child's blood stained clothes to try and find a DNA match for the coyote which they are intent on catching.
The hunt for the animal comes after officials killed a coyote after the animal injured a 2-year-old girl in Fountain Valley, California earlier this year.
There was also an attack in Hunginton Beach after the crazed animal went after another two-year-old girl.
The animal was later shot and killed by authorities.
