Hal, the Central Park Coyote captured last week, died before being released into the wild. He was being transported to California Hill State Forest upstate in Putnam County. The cause of death is still being determined.
"We took him yesterday from a wildlife rehabilitator on Long Island," Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman Gabrielle DeMarco said. "He stopped breathing during a routine tagging procedure and he couldn't be resuscitated by DEC biologists or Cornell University graduate researchers."
Gothamist has been tracking the story and is saddened by the ending. He first thrilled the media with alerts that a coyote was on the loose in Central Park and was eventually captured the next day. RIP to the Hal, the friendly coyote. Hal, we hardly knew ye. Hopefully Hal is gallivanting in that great Central Park in the sky.





Sad...maybe an anvil fell on his head.
wasn't he surviving from pigeons in the park before he was captured? hopefully he didn't get the avian flu from one of 'em.
Very funny, Rocknrope--I mean it! Very very funny!!
Reverend Billy gave a great sermon this past weekend about Hal. Check out:
http://www.revbilly.com/blog/?p=193
I smell a conspiracy. Imprisoned under police supervision, dies of mysterious causes. Dig deeper and you'll find a couple German Shepherds with a plunger.
I think I'd rather stop breathing than be forcibly removed from NYC to anyplace with "California" in its name.
He was using a giant slingshot that malfunctioned and slammed him into the side of a butte. The slingshot's manufacturer, ACME, will be providing the coffin as part of the settlement with Hal's family.
Hey the coyote looks like he's CUMMING into the air and his CUM looks like it's creating the 32 cents. HAHHHAHAHAH!