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.
