The Eradication of Hal From Central Park

Does anyone know how much money  New York City spent to eradicate Hal, the  lone , harmless coyote from Central Park?  Choppers, police overtime, sharp shooters?  Are the choppers and their pilots free and do the police and sharp shooters do this on their own time? 

I have never been to New York City, so  tell me, what level criminal gets this kind of attention?  In other words, what crimes would one have to commit in New York City to have choppers and a police posse  looking for them ?

Again, I have never been to New York City. I would love to visit.   Are there rodents there?  Mention was made of the possibility that Hal ate some rat poison- if he did, how did he scarf it up while he was running for his life from officials for two days- is it that prevalent  and easy to find in the park?  How long does it take Rat poison to kill a coyote?  A week ? Surely it wasn't part of the diet fed by the rehabilitators.  We generally stick to the meat group when feeding wild canines. If Officials had left Hal alone, they could have had free and effective rat control.   

Isn't a park supposed be a place where people can catch a glimpse of something beautiful, wild and and free?  Why hunt it down and kill it?

Who trained the dart gun shooters?  It doesn't sound like these guys were very qualified.  There  are several basic rules for shooting an animal with a dart gun

The first basic rule is: Never shoot the animal in an area where it might get lost with a dart in it.  It was reported that Hal eluded officers after he was shot the first time. 

The second basic rule is : Don't dart a panicked animal.  In other words, don't shoot an animal that is full of adrenalin- the reason is that adrenalin counters the effects of the drugs used, rendering them ineffective.  Chasing with choppers overhead and officers on foot qualify for an adrenalin rush for most.

What will happen next time a coyote wanders into the park- and it is sure to happen.   Will they learn from their mistake and leave it alone or hunt it down with real guns this time? 

Hal, may we learn from our mistakes, appreciate our New York State wildlife and  treat it with  more respect.

Comments

[Ilona]

I just discovered your wonderful website. I'm going to be taking the Wildlife Rehab test next spring. And I live in NYC! I just wanted to respond to some of your comments RE poor HAL. First of all people in NYC are not accostomed to dealing with wildlife. Even in Queens where I live, people freak out when confronted by a Racoon or an Opposum! At any rate - to answer your question...YES there is TONS of rat poison in NYC. The borough of Manhattan has a huge Rat problem. So it is quite believable that Hal may have ingested a rodent who had eaten the poison. As for Central Park - it is filled with people and children on a daily basis. New Yorkers simply don't understand wildlife and are scared of what they don't know about. Muggers they are prepared to encounter, Coyotes not so much. I was very very upset that this poor animal was treated the way it was. Don't forget that NYC also is more concerned with its' human population (look at the horrible conditions the Carriage Horses work under all for the sake of tourism). I'm just hoping that this sad incident has made some New Yorkers more aware that wildlife should be treated with respect!!