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Police Capture Coyote In Lower Manhattan

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Another coyote sighting led police on a chase through lower Manhattan on Saturday morning, ending with the animal being safely captured.

The animal was spotted shortly after 7:30 a.m. Saturday in Battery Park City, police said.

Officers followed the coyote as she ran up and down a marina and a Hudson riverfront park for about an hour.

Police Capture Coyote In Lower Manhattan

They finally cornered her near a cafe with outdoor seating.

Coyote in Lower Manhattan
(Credit: Sean Holmesby)

The officers used a tranquilizer dart to subdue the coyote and loaded her into a police cruiser.

She is being cared for at the Center for Animal Care and Control.

Police say there were no injuries to humans or animals.

One man recorded video of the coyote before it was nabbed.

It is unclear if the coyote was the same one that was spotted in Riverside Park earlier this week.

At least four coyotes have been sighted in Manhattan this year.

Police first spotted that Riverside Park coyote on Wednesday morning and were on the animal's trail, but it managed to evade officers. The NYPD had cops spread out across the area with tranquilizer guns in hand after a sighting just after dawn.

It spurred a 40-block chase around Riverside Park from the mid-80s to Grant's Tomb to West 122nd Street.

The coyotes are exhibiting normal behavior and shying away from people, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.

John Nesti of Fischer Wildlife Control explained the coyotes' movement and behavior to CBS2's Meg Baker.

"The river acts as a natural corridor for the coyotes to move in," he said. "(The Riverside Park coyote) is probably a year-and-a-half-old coyote."

Nesti believes the coyotes seen roaming city streets are not rabid, but looking for territory. It is the time of year when even young coyotes leave their dens.

"They can run the river and find all the food they need," Nesti said.

The coyotes follow tracks -- rivers, trains, and man-made trails. Nesti explained that is likely why they are showing up in the city.

Multiple dens of coyotes have also been found in Bergen County, New Jersey.

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