Pet Owners On Alert After Coyote Spotted In Manhattan's Central Park
Nervous New York dog owners are looking over their shoulder since a confirmed sighting of a coyote in the middle of Manhattan’s Central Park, CBS News reports.
The animal was first spotted about six weeks ago by a man walking his dog in the park. In another encounter in the same place on Saturday, the man’s 70-pound goldendoodle Rufus chased a coyote in the park after 9 p.m.
“Rufus saw it first and chased it. I caught Rufus and put him on leash. Once I did, the coyote approached us, although this time, much more aggressively than last time,” resident Terry Meehan told neighborhood newspaper The West Side Rag. “I threw sticks in its direction to ward it off, but it wasn’t too put off by it.”
There was a report of a coyote in March near the same area.
Here's today's (3/24/2019) Coyote on Vista Rock below Belvedere Castle and another that we saw on the Lake 2/17/2010, both on @BirdingBobNYC walks. #birdcp pic.twitter.com/oyPnSr0uHX
— Deborah Allen (@DAllenNYC) March 25, 2019
Coyotes live in nearby suburbs and north of Manhattan in the Bronx; one in the middle of Manhattan is rare. But there has been an uptick in coyote sightings in the borough. There have been 62 coyote sightings citywide since 2016, including 36 since Dec. 15 in Manhattan alone, reported 1010 WINS radio.
People who report spotting wildlife don’t always reveal the specific location. Reports can also represent multiple sightings of the same animal. A volunteer for the Central Park Conservancy, however, told the radio station that officials believe there are now one or two coyotes in the park.
A coyote spotted running down a Manhattan highway in Midtown last year was captured and transported to an “appropriate habitat,” according to police.
Earlier today, our Officers got a call for a vicious animal. Luckily, they were able to barricade him w/barriers & our Emergency Services Unit was able to tranquilize him. This beautiful coyote was taken to a Brooklyn Animal Shelter unharmed. Great job guys! #NYPDProtecting pic.twitter.com/XzkC1OtrzT
— NYPD 10th Precinct (@NYPD10Pct) December 23, 2018
Officials are urging pet owners in Central Park to keep their dogs leashed, and to give any coyote they see a wide berth. If it approaches, people should yell and wave their arms, according to authorities. Coyotes typically prey on mice, rats and squirrels, but will likely encounter pets and humans in the busy Manhattan park.
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