Coyote who swam to Alcatraz gets much fatter on prison island diet: It's a 1.25-mile journey from Aquatic Park through frigid, current-swept waters to reach the tourist attraction. [...] Aidan Moore, who works for Alcatraz City Cruises, said the coyote has been holed up near the parade grounds, where birds frequently nest. Bird carcasses have recently been found around the island, Moore said.

Coyote who swam to Alcatraz gets much fatter on prison island diet:

It’s a 1.25-mile journey from Aquatic Park through frigid, current-swept waters to reach the tourist attraction. […]

Aidan Moore, who works for Alcatraz City Cruises, said the coyote has been holed up near the parade grounds, where birds frequently nest. Bird carcasses have recently been found around the island, Moore said.

“He’s certainly much fatter than when he arrived,” said Moore. “We don’t know how long he’s going to be a resident here, because if he interferes with the nesting birds he might get relocated to the mainland.” […]

Kessler and a UC Berkeley researcher said the coyote likely left the mainland due to territorial pressure from the city’s approximately 20 coyote family groups, each of which defends its turf against outsiders. With limited options for dispersing young coyotes – about 30 are killed by cars in San Francisco each year – this one apparently decided to strike out across the water.

Christopher Schell, an assistant professor at UC Berkeley who studies how carnivores adapt to urban environments, said coyotes rarely display this type of swimming endurance, but it’s not unprecedented. He recalled reports of coyotes swimming up to three miles to islands from Seattle and Tacoma, Washington.

Previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously.

From jwz via this RSS feed