Rabies Outbreak Struck Down by 'Mad Coyotes'
A series of violent livestock deaths across the Columbia River has been linked to an influx of infected coyotes, marking the first documented cases of hydrophobia in the region.
The first real, unmistakable case of hydrophobia in this territory occurred on the Muir ranch, across the Columbia from Hanford, last Saturday night. A horse belonging to F. C. Koppen of Wahluke went mad during the night, biting and tearing himself and his mate dreadfully. Both horses were shot Sunday. The team had been running loose near Wahluke for some time, and had been taken to the Muir ranch for the winter a few days previous to the occurrence. It is believed that the horse had been bitten by a coyote infected with rabies, there having been several cases of rabies reported from southern Grant County. When Gabriel Jadden, manager of the Fischer Bros’. ranch of Wahluke, was in town this week, he said that just prior to Christmas several head of stock on the “Figure 2” ranch on the east side of the river above Priest Rapids were killed after it was determined that they were infected with rabies, having been bitten by mad coyotes. He said also that George Arrowsmith had been compelled to kill an infected cow.
“A horse belonging to F. C. Koppen of Wahluke went mad during the night, biting and tearing himself and his mate dreadfully.”
While rabies is managed today through widespread domestic pet vaccination and wildlife surveillance, the historical panic surrounding 'mad coyotes' highlights the deep-seated fears frontier ranchers faced regarding the vulnerability of their livestock—the primary economic engine of the era.
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