Jogger’s Central Park coyote encounter
A Big Apple jogger stared down a “giant” coyote that surprised him while running in Central Park over the weekend — with part of his hair-raising wildlife encounter caught on video.
The furry, four-legged wild canine appeared to be wandering alone Saturday morning, according to Brett Cohn, who posted a clip of the meeting on social media.
The runner, 33, told The Post he was jogging along the 72nd Street Traverse toward The Ramble after 7 a.m. — then did a double-take when he spotted the animal that didn’t quite look like a dog.
“I got to where the horses usually congregate during the day and all of sudden I looked up and there’s like a giant coyote staring right at me,” Cohn said.
“I was not expecting to see a coyote,” he added. “At first, I thought it was a dog off the leash. But then when I saw its face that looks more like a wolf or a coyote.”
Wiley surprise
“I looked at it and was like are my eyes deceiving me,” said Cohn, who works in the energy industry.
A city Parks Department spokesperson noted that coyotes have been spotted in multiple boroughs as well as Central Park over the past few years.
“We have no reason to believe this particular coyote is unhealthy or poses a threat to human safety,” the spokesperson told The Post. “However, we advise everyone to avoid close contact.”
Also, pet owners should beware: the wild canines have been known to attack and kill smaller dogs.
Coyotes have expanded their turf in the city in recent years because there is food and more space to roam, officials told PIX 11 in October. The animals have been spotted in every borough but Brooklyn, officials said.
Big Apple residents and visitors should not feed wild coyotes, the Parks Department said, but they should properly dispose of garbage so the animals can’t feast on scraps.
If a person is approached by a coyote, they should make themselves look bigger with their arms in the air while making loud noises.
Cohn, who lives in Manhattan, said the coyote wasn’t aggressive during the brief encounter.
“It was just like looking at me and I was looking at it,”he said.