Coyotes took Manhattan four times this year, wreaking havoc in Tribeca, commandeering Chelsea and sending Columbia students racing to their dorms in fear of the carnivorous canines spotted prowling around campus grounds.
And they'll be back.
Westchester is teeming with the mangy mutts, and as overcrowding, exacerbated by an imminent birthing season, pushes coyotes to seek less densely populated homes, some may seek refuge in the city, experts say. But the lack of habitat in big city environments could push them onto the streets and into city parks.
One expert says we can expect to see even more coyotes roaming around in New York.
"I think you're going to see more in the city because there are a lot of coyotes around the city who can make their way in and get lost," Ward Stone, of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, told The New York Post, adding that the next invasion would likely come this fall. "It's got to be pretty bewildering for a coyote to get lost in the city."
Indeed. This week, a coyote kept cops on the run for two days, roaming around Tribeca, evading authorities and likely feeling disoriented by the big city atmosphere. Authorities finally managed to catch and sedate him, but if the experts are right, he won't be the last to send authorities on a wild chase as he struggles to find his way.
Scott Silver, director of the Queens Zoo, which houses the city's only coyote habitat, acknowledged to the Post that the coyote population is clearly on the uptick in New York City and surrounding areas.
"Coyotes have become more adaptable in the surrounding areas," he said. "They are more successful, and that may be why they are striking out in new directions."
