Manhattan Coyote Sightings Are Reportedly Increasing

You never know what you’ll see in New York… literally. 

According to the New York Post, there have been close to 35 reported coyote sightings around the city. This is already four-times the number of reports recorded in all of 2018 and six-times the amount of sightings reported in 2017. Most of these encounters have come in Manhattan. Per the Post, residents of this borough have seen 26 different coyotes. Yet, they aren’t just moseying through mid-town. Most of the sightings have come from uptown, specifically Central Park where there have been at least 12 reports.

While many people have been able to defuse their encounters with the animals, others haven’t been so lucky. In June, Park data reported that a coyote “charged at someone” late at night. Also in June, a coyote attacked a woman and her son, biting the child. Police responded to the scene and fatally shot the animal. 

These sightings have become so frequent that it spawned groups that track the animals. According to Gotham Coyote’s Carol Henger, the number of reports in Central Park might not match the number of coyotes in the area.

“I would guess it’s just more eyes in Central Park,” Henger told the Post. “It’s such an unusual thing to see a coyote there, so if there tends to be one a lot of people take notice.”