A jogger in New York City said he was stopped in his tracks this weekend after he came face-to-face with a “giant” coyote while on a jog through Central Park. Brett Cohn posted a video of the shocking encounter online and detailed his experience to the New York Post, saying he spotted the massive mammal along the 72nd Street Traverse as he ran toward The Ramble around 7 a.m. Saturday. “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,” he said. “I was not expecting to see a coyote. 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.” Cohn said he questioned if his eyes were deceiving him, adding that he was shocked a creature of that size could make it into—and survive in—the middle of Manhattan. A New York City Department of Parks spokesperson told the Post that the coyote is nothing to worry about, and that plenty have been spotted in each of the city’s boroughs. They said it likely isn’t a threat to the public, but still warned that New Yorkers should “keep their distance and avoid close contact.”
