I stumbled upon a sleeping Coyote in Central Park today, while looking for American Woodcocks who should start appearing in the next few weeks.

The Coyote was sleeping peacefully on a protected ridge and was well camouflaged in the leave litter. The animal slept peacefully until disturbed breifly by an off-leash dog. When it did leave after dusk, it left quickly through some underbrush and was quickly out of sight.

Central Park most likely has three coyotes at the moment, although the count could be higher. They’ve been in the park for the last few years and there have been no issues. Coyotes are very shy, and do their best to avoid contact with people. However, it is very important not to feed them. Once people begin to feed them they can become very agressive.