A coyote runs down State Street in the Loop this morning. (WGN-TV)
A coyote loping along the South Loop streets this morning was probably at his job searching out rodents, according to city animal welfare officials.
A video shot overnight shows the coyote running down State Street as cars and a moving truck pass by.Brad Block, a supervisor for the Chicago Commission on Animal Care and Control, said the animal has the run of the Loop to help deal with rats and mice. He said no one has called today to complain.
"He's not a threat...He's not going to pick up your children," Block said. "His job is to deal with all of the nuisance problems, like mice, rats and rabbits."
Block said he believes the coyote is one of those fitted with a GPS device to monitor its whereabouts. He said the coyote is pretty timid and stays away from people.
Cook County officials have fitted a few coyotes with GPS as part of an urban coyote project and has allowed them to run wild in Chicago to deal with the rodent population. It was unclear whether this coyote is part of that program. The animal was not captured.
Earlier this year, another coyote was found in a park near the Chicago River and would return there to scavenge for food, he said.
That animal had to be removed because it had become accustomed to people and their handouts. It was eventually taken to a wildlife center.
-- Carlos Sadovi
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