Toddler mauled behind oblivious parent's back: 'There was blood all over'

A toddler is mauled by a coyote as her parent stands with her back turned.

Video has captured the terrifying moment a little girl was attacked by a coyote behind the back of her mother.

A mother and her two children were at the beach dipping their toes in the ocean in California when a coyote suddenly appeared and mauled the toddler.

Footage shows the mum facing the water while her toddler was on the beach behind her.

Suddenly the coyote walked up to the toddler and clung to her face before getting into a struggle.

The toddler is then seen trying to crawl away but the coyote manages to come back for a second bite.

"The baby evidently got bit and there was blood all over her face," a bystander said.

One of the adults at the beach then turned around to see what was unfolding before the coyote took off.

The little girl was seen walking to her mother to help after the traumatic experience.

A toddler is mauled by a coyote as her parent stands with her back turned.

She was taken by ambulance to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

Orange County Animal Services and officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife searched for the coyote who was spotted running on the beach near the water.

Later in the evening, two coyotes were shot by officials. They were both injured but still managed to run away. One was found dead from its injuries on the beach the following morning.

One runner told FOX she had seen coyotes lingering around the children's playground and reported a number of people being chased by them.

"It's really not afraid of us at all," one resident said.

The toddler was set to be tested for rabies and will continue to be treated at the hospital.