Police have apprehended a wily intruder on the Upper West Side: a coyote.
Armed with a tranquilizer gun, NYPD Emergency Services officers managed to humanely trap the beast at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, police said.
Officers cornered the female coyote, which they named Riva, inside a fenced-in basketball court in Riverside Park, but struggled to drug the animal because the tranquilizer darts continuously froze.
The coyote was taken on Sunday to Animal Care & Control of NYC, where it was fed and examined by a veterinarian, city parks officials said.
Riva was released into "an appropriate wilderness area in the Bronx" Sunday night, officials said.
"Riva’s tour of Manhattan has come to a safe and beneficial conclusion," said Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver. "Her visit to Riverside Park is a potent reminder that our city is home to a great diversity of wildlife.”
Most coyotes pose no danger to people, but shouldn't be approached.
