Coyote found in Riverside Park and tranquilized by police

by: Lisa Chamoff

Posted: Jan 11, 2015 / 04:38 PM EST

Updated: Jan 11, 2015 / 04:40 PM EST

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11) — A coyote was spotted in Riverside Park Saturday night before police officers safely tranquilized the animal and handed it over to Animal Care & Control.

Police said people in the park saw the coyote around 8:30 p.m. near 73rd Street. The NYPD’s 24th Precinct Tweeted about the capture:

Yes- There is a coyote in the UWS tonight (in Riverside Park).We are currently doing our best to humanely trap it.Will update shortly.

— NYPD 24th Precinct (@NYPD24Pct) January 11, 2015

Coyote safely tranquilized and removed to Animal Care & Control. Great job by @nypd20Pct & @nypdspecialops! http://t.co/faSlJQxQtG

— NYPD 24th Precinct (@NYPD24Pct) January 11, 2015

The frigid weather made trapping the coyote a little more difficult.

Sorry for the delay-took a while.Had it corralled inside fenced-in BB court, but so cold out, the tranquilizer in the darts kept freezing!

— NYPD 24th Precinct (@NYPD24Pct) January 11, 2015

Police said the coyote was going to be released into the wild, but in the meantime they have taken a liking to the pup.

NYPD Emergency Services did a great job & the coyote is unharmed (although now she is a little sleepy). The question is: What to name her?

— NYPD 24th Precinct (@NYPD24Pct) January 11, 2015

Coyotes in the city are rare, but not new. In 2010, a coyote was spotted on the Manhattan side of the Holland Tunnel.