A man and his 3-year-old son were bitten by a coyote Wednesday evening outside their home in Irvine, authorities said.

At 6:20 p.m., a man in his mid-40s was working in his garage in the 70 block of Forbes in the Portola Springs neighborhood, when a coyote appeared and bit the boy, who was playing outside, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi.

The boy was bitten on his right knee, and jumped onto his father, who was bent over.

“At first (the father) thought he was playing before he realized he (the boy) was bitten,” Concialdi said.

The father was bit next in his buttocks.

Orange County Fire Authority firefighter paramedics responded and cared for the wounds. The man drove himself and his son to Hoag Hospital Irvine for further medical attention.

The coyote ran off before officers with the Irvine Police Department’s Animal Services Division arrived. A search for the animal was being conducted Wednesday evening, Irvine police official, Lt. Cathy Scherer said.

Several coyote sightings have been reported in Irvine this year, putting residents on edge. In May, a 3-year-old girl and a woman were both bitten in separate incidents while walking on a sidewalk.

In June, a 2-year-old boy was bitten in his knee and suffered a leg bruise near a playground in the 200 block of Borrego, and and another young boy on Keepsake was bitten several times.

Last month, Irvine animal control officers patrolled the Portola Springs and Pavilion Park neighborhoods with paintball guns to deter coyotes from engaging in human contact. The guns were loaded with yellow paintball markers intended only to sting the animals and scare them off.

The practice, known as “hazing” or “fear conditioning” is an alternative to trapping or killing the animals, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

One coyote that may have been looking for food in front of a home was hazed in the patrol. Another ran off after officers yelled and flashed their lights at it.

Wildlife officials advise people not to feed coyotes or leave trash lying around, which serves as an invitation to the animals.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com