A coyote wandering the streets of Chicago was captured earlier this week by a Lakeview resident who noticed the animal sitting in the window well of his apartment building, NBC Chicago’s Evrod Cassimy reports.
A coyote wandering the streets of Chicago was captured earlier this week by a Lakeview resident who noticed the animal sitting in the window well of his apartment building.
"We just entered in and saw the coyote sitting there," Lakeview resident Nathan Bean said.
Bean had just arrived back to his home near the busy intersection of West Roscoe Street and North Halsted Street Tuesday when he encountered the coyote.
"It looked really sweet!" neighbor Cornelia Simpson said. "It was very calm. It was really calm. It was scared I think. Not in the best area for a coyote."
Bean said neighbors quickly alerted each other of the coyote's presence.
"We have a group text that everyone started blowing up saying oh my gosh there's a coyote!" Bean said. "Nobody bring out your dogs! Don't bring out the cats!"
Neighbors contacted authorities, with animal control arriving shortly thereafter and removing the coyote from the window.
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Though it might seem strange to see a coyote in an urban environment, experts tell us it's not uncommon.
"Chicago is actually home to about 2,000 coyotes, give or take," Armando Tejada with the Chicago Animal Care and Control told NBC Chicago. "They're actually very abundant in urban areas."
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Bean said it's not the first time he's been alerted to nearby coyotes in the neighborhood.
"In Lakeview, probably once or twice a year, we'll see it pop up on our Lakeview Facebook page, but then we'll also see them running across the streets," Bean said.
As for this recent Lakeview coyote, it's appears it was just looking for a quiet place to relax. It's now being cared for by wildlife experts.
"Our officers were able to remove the coyote by pulling it right through the bars," Tejada said.
The coyote is now at a wildlife center where it will be evaluated and eventually released near where it was found.
If you encounter a coyote, experts said they'll usually run away from you, though owners of small pets are advised to hang onto them when nearby.
