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.