A three-year-old child found himself face-to-face with an unexpected playmate when a coyote came calling at his Pasadena, California, home.
In a video posted to X, doorbell camera video shows the boy zooming off as all toddlers do.
Seconds later, accompanied by an exclamation of surprise and fear, the boy comes running back.
WILD ENCOUNTER: A coyote was caught on camera chasing a 3-year-old boy through the front gate of his Pasadena, California, home.
The child’s mother screamed from inside the property, prompting the animal to flee. pic.twitter.com/XSZN8fsL7A
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 25, 2026
Then, trotting along in search of food or adventure, comes a coyote. Not long after, the full-throated noise of a very surprised and very unhappy adult can be heard.
With either its curiosity assuaged or the realization that a meal was not in the offing, the coyote then leaves.
Salvo Bessemer was not hurt in the scary close call, his mother said, according to KABC-TV.
“Sal went out the gate like he always does before me,” Aida Svelto said.
“Then I heard a scream, and Sal came running back. He grabbed onto my legs, then I screamed because I saw a big, giant coyote,” she said.
Although coyotes roam the neighborhood, Svelto said this was her first experience with one exploring her property.
“We have seen them, but they typically just stay on the street,” Svelto said. “I really didn’t feel nervous. Now I’m nervous.”
“This one was bigger and scarier, and I just really didn’t think that he would go after a kid.”
“It’s one thing to see them go after a chihuahua or rabbit or whatever, but he’s pretty big, so it was scary.”
“She texted me. She’s like, ‘A coyote just chased Sal,’ and I was like, ‘How?’ I checked the cameras. I was flabbergasted,” Leonard Bessemer, the boy’s father, said.
More encounters might be likely, Kevin McManus with Pasadena Humane said.
“It’s mating season, so they are out there at all times of the day. We’re going to be seeing them. We have seen them more in the last few weeks,” he said.
“Just be extra cautious. Keep an eye on your kids. Keep an eye on your pets.”
Minimizing the chancers of a close coyote encounter is nothing more than common sense, according to UrbanCoyoteResearch, which noted coyotes generally avoid humans.
The site warns against feeding coyotes and also says the pets running loose can be a temptation for coyotes.
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