The coyote was found in the Anthem subdivision between 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Thursday, said Jennifer Churchill, spokeswoman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The animal's remains will be sent to the state's lab in Fort Collins for necropsy, which is standard procedure, she said.

"We just want to the check the animal out to make sure there's no indicator of disease or illness," Churchill said. "I'm not sure that we will learn of anything, but in the off chance there is something wrong with it, we might better understand its behavior."

Churchill said there's no concrete proof that this is the same coyote that bit the boy in the buttocks earlier this week but "based on the proximity to the situation" officers believe it is the same animal.

The toddler was walking with his father and baby sister on an open space path in the Anthem subdivision Monday night when the coyote sprang from some tall grass, bit the boy in the lower back and butt area and knocked him to the ground, wildlife officers said.

The boy, who didn't see the coyote -- just some brownish gray fur -- asked his dad if it was the Easter bunny that had bit him. The boy had to endure rabies shot, but is said to be OK.