March 22, 2006

Coyote sightings in Central Park

A coyote nicknamed Hal is roaming Central Park, much to the dismay of Parks Department employees who are warning dog owners to keep their pets -- possible prey -- on a leash.

The New York Times man in Central Park seems to have spotted it himself -- in no less a location than "on the steps leading to the parks department headquarters." Oh, you wily coyote.

Even New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe saw the animal around 3 p.m. yesterday in the Hallett Nature Sanctuary, not far from Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. Benepe told NY1 the coyote looked "healthy," aka "well fed." He suspects the animal came from the Bronx, possibly swimming across the Harlem River into Manhattan.

Another coyote, which now lives in the Queens Zoo, was found in Central Park in April 1999.

Update: The coyote's been captured in the park near 79th Street, NY1 is now reporting.

Update II: Hal died before he could be re-released into the wild. The cause of death hasn't yet been determined. Fox Wood Wildlife Rescue, a not-for-profit group, is seeking donations in Hal's memory to help other New York State coyotes.

Update III: A a necropsy showed that Hal "was seriously ill from a heartworm infestation and internal hemorrhaging caused by rat poison," according to the New York Times.

March 22, 2006 07:58 AM in Sightsology

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