A coyote was safely rescued from an Aldi in Humboldt Park, Chicago, after surprising shoppers and police alike
Chicago: So, there was this wild scene at an Aldi in Humboldt Park. Two Chicago police officers were trying to coax out a mysterious animal hiding behind the fridges. They were armed with brooms, which is pretty funny, right?
After some poking around, one officer grabbed a furry tail, and guess what? It was a full-grown male coyote! The little guy darted back to hide behind some veggies. Talk about a surprise!
The police and Animal Care and Control showed up around 9:45 a.m. and managed to get the coyote out safely. Thankfully, no one got hurt during the whole ordeal.
By Monday afternoon, the coyote was chilling at Animal Care and Control, waiting to be sent to Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation in Barrington. He looked fine, but they wanted to check him out thoroughly before letting him go back into the wild.
This isn’t the first time a coyote has wandered into a food place in Chicago. Back in 2007, one strolled into a Quiznos downtown through an open door. And in 1999, another coyote got hit by a car and ended up under a taxi near the Art Institute. They think it followed the train tracks into the city.
Even though coyotes are pretty good at dodging cars, getting hit is still their biggest danger, according to the Urban Wildlife Institute at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Chris Anchor, a wildlife biologist, explained that coyotes are usually out at night and do a great job avoiding people. But sometimes, they end up in places where humans are, like the Aldi, and that’s when things get tricky.
With coyote mating season from January to March, sightings are on the rise. If you see one, the advice is to make yourself look big and loud, then back away slowly—definitely don’t run!
Generally, coyotes aren’t a threat to people. There’s only been one documented attack in Chicago, and that was back in January 2020.
Experts suggest keeping pets on short leashes and securing food sources to avoid attracting coyotes. They usually prefer small mammals but can adapt their diet to include human food.
Anchor mentioned that most coyotes in Chicago go unnoticed by the public. If you live in the area, you’re likely within a coyote’s territory. It’s been 25 years since they started studying urban coyotes, and it turns out they’re everywhere!
