A remarkable sighting
A coyote was recently observed swimming to Alcatraz Island, marking the first time this animal has been seen there.
Aidan Moore, who works in guest relations for Alcatraz City Cruises, shared a video of the coyote that a tourist had sent him on January 11. He initially thought it might be a joke or a misidentification of a sea lion, which are frequently spotted in the area. However, upon viewing the footage, he realized it was indeed an unusual occurrence.
Alcatraz Island is located approximately 1.25 miles from San Francisco and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area managed by the National Park Service.
Julian Espinoza, a spokesperson for the recreation area, noted that while coyotes are commonly seen throughout San Francisco and Marin parklands, this was the first instance of one being observed on Alcatraz. He mentioned that park biologists were equally surprised by this sighting.
Espinoza also remarked on how challenging it is to swim to Alcatraz, even for someone in excellent physical condition. As of now, there have been no additional reports or sightings of the coyote on the island.
Brett Furnas, an ecologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, suggested that the coyote may have originated from either San Francisco or Angel Island, which lies about one to two miles away.
