Hal the Central Park Coyote
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Hal was a 35-pound, one year old coyote that wandered into New York City's Central Park in 2006. Police officers gave chase for two days before capturing him near 79th Street on 22 March 2006.
He was named after the Hallett Nature Sanctuary where park workers first confronted him. Hal escaped by jumping over the workers and running away to one more evening of freedom in the city. The next day, Hal was finally caught after being shot by a tranquilizer dart near the Wollman Rink.
Hal was a minor celebrity in New York City during his stay in the park. He was the top story in the local news broadcasts and featured on the front page of the New York newspapers. He also received broader national media coverage, much of which referred to him as "wily".
Where Hal came from and how he got onto Manhattan is a mystery. Parks officials speculate that he came from upstate New York, where coyotes are common, travelled through the Bronx along the Hudson River, and crossed into Manhattan by either swimming or taking a railroad bridge over the Harlem River.
Hal received medical care prior to his intended release into California Hill State Forest in Putnam County, New York. Sadly, he died unexpectedly on 30 March during a routine tagging procedure while being restrained by biologists. Wildlife handlers and park officials say the animal appeared healthy and relaxed going into the procedure.
A necropsy performed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation showed that Hal may have died from a heartworm infestation and internal hemorrhaging caused by rat poison.
References
- [CNN: Wily coyote caught in Central Park]
- [AP: Hal, the Central Park Coyote, Dies]
- James Barron, "Hal Coyote, 1, Dies; Romped in the Park", New York Times, April 1, 2006. [Online copy]
- Kareem Fahim, "Heartworms and Rat Poison May Have Doomed Hal the Coyote", New York Times, April 8, 2006. [online copy]
- [The Smoking Gun: What Killed Hal, The Coyote]
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