A 19-year-old woman was taken to hospital in critical condition after she was attacked by two coyotes Tuesday afternoon in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in northern Nova Scotia.

Provincial RCMP spokeswoman Sgt. Brigdit Leger described the victim's injuries as "very, very serious."

Paul Maynard, a spokesman for Emergency Health Services, said the woman was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Cheticamp where doctors tried to stabilize her. She was then airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax in critical condition.

He said she had suffered "multiple bite wounds throughout her body."

Cheticamp RCMP said they received a 911 call on Tuesday reporting that a hiker was being attacked by two coyotes on the Skyline Trail, which has since been closed. Leger said an RCMP officer happened to be about five minutes from the trail.

In an earlier news release, Mounties said one coyote escaped, while they shot and killed the second because it continued to be aggressive. Cheticamp RCMP Cpl. Lisa McKay said she believed one of the animals had been shot in the hip, but that its body had not been found.

"We're not quite sure where he is," she said Tuesday night.

However, park superintendent Helene Robichaud said there were no signs a coyote had been severely wounded.

"We understand that a member of the RCMP did shoot an animal, but wasn't sure if it was hit or not," she said. "There's no indication that an animal would've been severely hit."

Robichaud said the coyotes are more than likely in the vicinity of the attack site because they are creatures of habit. Parks Canada and RCMP officials said they will resume their search for them in the morning.

She said she believed the victim was a tourist from outside Nova Scotia and was walking the trail alone.

"There were also some hikers along the trail — people that had gone by before and others went after," Robichaud said. "What we understand is that there was a couple who were coming along and with noise, were able to scare [the coyotes] off or send them off in a way."

Robichaud said her staff had not heard of such an attack in 20 or 25 years, and called the incident a "most severe situation."

"It's unusual, it's infrequent, irregular," she said.

The Skyline Trail has been closed and barricaded. Robichaud said uniformed staff are standing at the entrance to keep people away and it will remain that way until the situation has been resolved.

She said the coyotes will be trapped or killed, depending on how they react when officers find them.

"You have to understand that it depends on the particular situation and how the animal is approaching," she said.