June 28, 2023 / By mobanmarket
CENTRAL PARK, NY — David Lei journeyed into Central Park on Monday night hoping to snap a photo of Flacco, the celebrity owl that escaped from the famous park’s zoo in February.
As he scanned the Manhattan park about 9 p.m. with his thermal monoculars, though, he gasped as a very different type of animal suddenly came into focus.
A coyote!
“Eastern coyote on patrol in Central Park last night,” Lei tweeted out on Tuesday. “Was scanning for an owl with thermal monoculars when I saw something big and four-legged.”
“Thought it might be an off-leash dog and gasped when a coyote came into focus on my camera,” he added.
Lei told Patch that he had seen coyotes previously in Central Park around two years ago in multiple locations.
“The coyote is a lucky occurrence and I wouldn’t want droves of people roaming around there in the hope of seeing it and perhaps disturbing other critters in that area,” Lei added.
Lei’s coyote sighting from two years ago lines up with multiple reports from 2021 of a Central Park coyote.
At least one coyote has long been considered to be living in Central Park, with multiple late-night dog walkers and park employees spotting the animal from time to time over the years.
The New York City Parks Department has an entire page dedicated to coyotes, and what to do if you happen to come across the animal.
Coyotes are common across the state and are especially active in the Bronx.
“Seeing a coyote for the first time can be an exhilarating or an alarming experience,” reads the Park’s Department website. “If you see a coyote, do not panic. Most coyotes are not dangerous to people.”
The page also advises not to feed coyotes, keep at least 150 feet away from the animal, and if approached, act big and make loud noises.
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