©Shelby Cohron via Unsplash
On January 11, a wild coyote achieved a record-breaking feat: swimming almost two kilometers across San Francisco Bay to reach Alcatraz Island, known the world over for its former federal prison.
The unusual event, first reported by a tourist, immediately attracted the attention of biologists and National Park Service rangers, who confirmed that this was the first documented coyote on the island since 1972.
The animal, nicknamed Floyd, was filmed in a short video as it emerged from the water, visibly exhausted and chilled. The images quickly circulated in the media, and the coyote's feat became a story of worldwide interest.
A difficult habitat
Alcatraz, now a protected natural area and popular tourist destination, is not an ideal place for a land predator. The island is small, has no fresh water and is home to large colonies of nesting seabirds, including Brandt's cormorants and western gulls. For this reason, biologists began monitoring the coyote's behavior in the early days of its arrival, seeking to understand how it managed to feed and hydrate itself.
According to experts, Floyd could temporarily survive by hunting birds and drinking rainwater collected in puddles or gardens. However, prey remains and organic traces have already been found and analyzed by DNA tests, a sign that his presence has not gone unnoticed in the local ecosystem.
The wardens' decision: capture and relocate him
With bird breeding season approaching, the presence of an opportunistic predator in such a concentrated area became a problem for wildlife management. Even a single coyote, say rangers, could jeopardize thousands of nests. For this reason, a clear decision has been made: if Floyd doesn't leave the island of his own accord, he will be captured and relocated to a more suitable habitat.
The operation, the authorities assure us, will be carried out without harming the animal, with the support of biologists and tools such as camera traps. The aim is not to punish this exception, but to protect a fragile balance while ensuring a more secure future for the coyote. Whatever his final destination, one thing is certain: Floyd has already made his mark on the island's history.
Source : SFGATE
(©GreenMe.it 2026/Managing editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction/Picture: Shelby Cohron via Unsplash)