Brittany Cardinal, 36, heard her 4-year-old daughter's high-pitched scream at their home in Surprise, Arizona, USA, on September 6, and realized the girl was being attacked by a coyote. With no weapons available, Brittany used one of her flip-flops to strike the animal. During the counterattack, she ended up bitten in the face when she fell to the ground, but she continued fighting the coyote even while injured.
The mother suffered severe lacerations and puncture wounds to her face caused by the animal, which sank its teeth into her while she was on the ground. The 4-year-old daughter escaped the incident unharmed thanks to her mother's intervention.
According to Brittany, there was no hesitation on her part. "I don't think I even had time to think about anything. I think that, as a mother, you try to protect your child," she stated. In a moment of respite during the confrontation, mother and daughter managed to run back home for help.
Authorities from the Arizona Game and Fish Department reported that this attack was considered unusual, since coyote attacks on humans are rare, especially when children are involved.
