Hal the Coyote's Death Unnecessary?
Stress also seems to have played a part it the coyote's death although how much stress the animal experienced is unclear. Apparently, in his weakened condition, the coyote was stressed beyond his limit and he died.
I found these comments on a blog written by Elise Able, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and owner of Fox Wood Wildlife Rescue (http://www.foxwoodrehab.com/) Clearly she is not happy with the treatment and release of Hal. In particular she seems to have a bone to pick with the Cornell grad student who handled the coyote during its release.
I am not sure what happened when Hal was released. Elise Able contends the coyote did not have to die and its release was mismanaged. If anybody knows anything more about the situation I'd like to know.
Here is part of what she writes in her blog:
The Violent Death of Hal, the Central Park Coyote - Part I
"Regarding the title of this post - In the past few weeks, there's been a
news story about a coyote wandering around Central Park in Manhattan, dubbed
"Hal" by the media. As the media tells the story, it was darted and
captured, and was going to be released in another "wildlife friendly" park
well outside the city. A subsequent news story this morning reported that
the coyote died, and it was attributed to "stress from being darted and
captured". This is far from the truth. His death was a direct result of
careless and inhumane handling by the Cornell Graduate student during an
unprofessional and careless tagging process.
I am a coyote expert - that's why the New York Post has called me several
times in regard to this story. I was consulted by the caretakers of this
coyote as to how he should be handled - keep in mind that all I can do is
advise - there is no way I can force people to take my advice."
More on the death of Hal as witnessed by Elise Able can be found here on her blog.
Here is what the Times reported:
New York Times
April 8, 2006
Rat Poison Cited in Coyote's Death
Hal, the year-old coyote who died in custody after leading the authorities on a gripping chase through Central Park last month, was seriously ill from a heartworm infestation and internal hemorrhaging caused by rat poison, according to the results of a necropsy released yesterday by the State Department of Environmental Conservation.
On March 30, 10 days after he was first sighted in Central Park and 8 days after he was captured in an intense pursuit, Hal stopped breathing during a routine tagging procedure by two biologists.
In a statement, the agency said, "His poor health, coupled with the stress of captivity and handling during the release, led to his death."
Paul Curtis, a wildlife specialist at Cornell University whose work focuses on conflicts between humans and wildlife, said, "It was a very sick coyote."
A graduate student of Dr. Curtis's, Dan Bogan, was one of the biologists trying to tag Hal for release into the wild when the coyote stopped breathing. Dr. Curtis said that the procedure caused minimal stress and that Mr. Bogan was experienced in tagging coyotes.
The necropsy added details about Hal's last days, noting that after he was transferred to wildlife rehabilitators on Long Island, he was fed venison, chicken thighs, organ meats, canned dog food and kibble.
It also described the tagging process, saying that after Hal was taken from his carrier and held with a catchpole  a long pole with a plastic-coated-wire loop used to secure animals  his mouth was kept shut with an Ace bandage. "The nose was clear for breathing," the report said. A few minutes later, "during ear-tagging," Hal stopped breathing.
Dr. Curtis said that signs of heartworms, caused by mosquito-borne parasites, are not outwardly visible. He also said it was likely that Hal had eaten a rat or mouse that had ingested poison.
