(PORTLAND, Ore.) -- A coyote attacked and chased a 9-year-old in Portland, Oregon, while the child was playing hide-and-seek in their own yard, with officials encouraging residents in the area to remain on alert, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The attack occurred last week in the Portland neighborhood of Alameda, where a 9-year-old and a 3-year-old were "playing hide-and-seek in their yard when a coyote approached the 9-year-old" and bit their foot, the fish and wildlife department said in a press release on Wednesday.
The 9-year-old, who was wearing socks at the time of the attack, was able to "shake their foot out of the sock and run away," officials said.
The coyote then proceeded to chase the 9-year-old until the child's father -- who was on the front porch -- began yelling at the animal, who then ran away, officials said.
The child was taken to a local hospital and was "treated for minor injuries," officials said. The status of the child's condition remains unclear as of Thursday.
A day after the attack, officials traveled to the scene to "conduct a site investigation" and informed residents via flyers and social media posts that a "concerning incident with a coyote had recently occurred," the department of fish and wildlife said.
In the days following the attack, officials said they have "continued to monitor the area and talk to neighbors" and are working closely with local and federal authorities to "determine next steps for addressing the human safety situation."
While coyotes are "not unusual" in this area of Portland -- even during the day -- officials strongly encouraged residents to "monitor young children playing outside" and to not provide food to coyotes, which is illegal in the state of Oregon.
Dave Keiter, a district wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told ABC Portland affiliate KATU the attack was a "very unusual incident," but feeding the animals can "make them spend more time around humans which can cause conflict both with people and with pets."
"The vast majority of encounters with coyotes are entirely benign," Keiter told KATU.
If someone does encounter a coyote, officials said to scare away the animal by yelling, using airhorns, banging pots and pans or throwing objects.
Officials encourage community members to "immediately report concerning encounters and aggressive behavior toward people or pet" to the department of fish and wildlife or call 911 in the event of an emergency.