March 31, 2006
Coyote That Romped in Central Park Dies
By MARIA NEWMAN, The New York Times
Hal, the coyote with wanderlust who toured Central Park for days earlier this month until a posse of New York City police officers finally managed to capture him, died as he was about to be released back into the wild, state environmental officials said today.
Hal was to be taken on Thursday from a wildlife rehabilitation center on Long Island, and was about to be set loose in the California State Forest upstate in Putnam County, said Gabrielle DeMarco, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Environmental Conservation. As workers were trying to tag him for release, he stopped breathing.
They could not resuscitate him.
"It's truly so sad," said Ms. DeMarco, adding that pathologists would be conducting tests on the coyote to determine the cause of death, and whether the trauma of his New York escapade had contributed to his early demise.
The year-old coyote caused a stir when he was spotted in the meadows and woods of the nation's most congested city, scaring some park goers and delighting other people in a city used to intrepid newcomers.
For days, the coyote known as Hal, because he was first spotted at the park's Hallett Nature Sanctuary, was chased by breathless police department sharp shooters armed only with tranquilizer guns, park maintenance officials on golf carts and countless news media. There were news helicopters flying overhead in search of a Hal sighting and top park officials held news conferences on scenic knolls in the park.
But Hal managed to evade them for days more efficiently than a celebrity with a new secret lover dodges the paparazzi.
Finally, on March 22, a Wednesday, Hal's excellent adventure ended when a police officer landed a tranquilizer dart in his rump.
Copyright 2006The New York Times Company
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