RIVERSIDE PARK — A wild coyote was captured in Riverside Park over the weekend and released in The Bronx Sunday night, police and the Parks Department said.
Police got a call at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday from a park-goer who had spotted the coyote wandering in Riverside Park, officials said.
Officers corralled the wild animal — a female coyote that the 24th Precinct named "Riva" — into the park's basketball courts near West 74th Street and tranquilized it, police said.
"When it wanted to, that coyote could move fast and jump high! We were impressed!" the 24th Precinct tweeted.
The operation to remove Riva from Riverside Park took longer than expected Saturday night because the darts inside the tranquilizer police were using kept freezing.
Police had to call in a second Emergency Service Unit with warm tranquilizer darts to "humanely" subdue her, said Capt. Marlon Larin, commanding officer of the 24th Precinct.
After Riva was tranquilized, Animal Care & Control of NYC took over and spent Sunday examining and feeding the coyote, a Parks Department spokesman said.
On Sunday night, Riva was released into a park in The Bronx, the spokesman said, without giving a specific location.
"Recent sightings in NYC confirm that coyotes have been living within the city limits. NYC Parks is aware of their presence," the spokesman said.
The Parks Department advises people to keep their dogs leashed, not feed coyotes or leave garbage around, and to keep a distance if you spot one.
The department also advises that you make loud noises and wave your arms until the coyote backs off.
