5-year-old attacked by a coyote in Chicago's Lincoln Park

CHICAGO (AP) - A young boy walking with an adult outside a Chicago nature museum on Wednesday was bitten by a coyote, authorities said.

The attack on the 5-year-old occurred outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt said. The boy was bitten about the head several times before he and the woman sought refuge on a bus.

The boy, who hasn't been identified, was taken to Lurie Children's Hospital, where he was reported in stable condition. Police say the coyote ran north through the park after the attack and Chicago Animal Care and Control officers are searching for the animal.

Animal control officials say that while it is rare for a coyote to approach or bite a person, the public should be cautious when they encounter one of the animals.

Several coyote sightings have been reported on Chicago's North Side in the past week, with one pulled from Lake Michigan on Tuesday. Animal Care and Control executive director Kelley Gandurski says the increase in sightings is a result of cold weather and lack of food.