By Mike Stunson
The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.)
CHICAGO — Officers in Illinois made a startling discovery in the refrigerated aisle of an Aldi grocery store when they spotted a coyote hiding in the shelving, a video shows.
Wildlife officers with Chicago Animal Care and Control safely wrangled the coyote from the North Kedzie Avenue store Monday, Jan. 13, according to WTTW.
In a video shared to X, formerly Twitter, two officers were seen looking for the critter when one of them pulled it out of the refrigerator by its tail.
The video, which has been viewed more than 6.5 million times as of early Jan. 14, shows the officer begin to remove the wily coyote from the store. It appeared to be uninjured.
“It picked an odd location. They do this sometimes. They make a mistake. They’re trying to avoid us. They’re trying to hide from us,” Stan Gehrt with the Cook County Coyote Project told WLS.
Chicago Animal Care and Control officials said the coyote will be assessed at Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, according to WMAQ. If it is deemed healthy, it will be released back to the wild.
The organization took the opportunity to remind residents that January through March is coyote mating season, meaning the animals are “more active and may be seen more frequently.”
Coyotes typically try to avoid humans, but the organization encouraged people to stay alert and avoid feeding the animals.
Police said no injuries were reported from the Aldi incident, WMAQ reported.
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