The Arizona Game and Fish Department is continuing the search for a coyote that attacked multiple children in the past week. Department spokesperson Mark Hart says it is possible the animal might lack the natural instinct to fear humans.

“Clearly this coyote has been fed, inadvertently or on purpose," he said. "There’s reason to believe that it’s been eating pet food. So we would ask that community to please set their yards if they have pet food — or any other food source outside — to please set up from their yards.”

The last coyote attack on a human happened in 2017. In a tweet earlier this week, the department asked residents to report any coyote sightings near 94th Street/Thompson Peak Parkway to Cactus Road to 623-236-7201.

Hart says if the coyote is found, the department is legally required to kill it. Both attacks happened in Scottsdale.