FORT MYERS, Fla. — William Humes walked outside the Luminary Hotel for a cup of coffee. Instead, he found a coyote two stories above the ground.
WATCH: Coyote escapes Fort Myers hotel ledge:
“We turned and we looked, "Humes said. "And we were in amazement, as a matter of fact.”
So was Fort Myers Police Lieutenant Dominic Zammit.
“I mean, we’ve had bears in trees and stuff like that,” Zammit said. “But never a coyote on the side of a building.”
At first glance, the animal looked like a large dog. Brown fur. Fluffy tail. But it was no household pet on the small strip of concrete. Somehow, a coyote walked onto the second-floor ledge of the hotel parking lot.
Fort Myers Police taped off the building's Bay Street entrance at Bay Street as officers tried wrangle the animal. Police showed up after someone saw the coyote on side of the building, Zammit said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) also responded to the hotel with a biologist, Zammit said. At least one FWC officer was at the scene with a kennel and catch pole.
As morning turned into afternoon, the crowd grew. Downtown officer workers, tourists, and reporters gawked at the frightened animal as it stood almost frozen.
After a multi-hour standoff, the animal got tired of the attention - and the hot sun. It hopped over the railing and ran back into the garage, prompting excited cheers from the crowd.
Zammit said the coyote escaped out of the hotel and was last seen headed towards McGregor Boulevard.
“They [officers] were unable to capture it, it was super fast,” Zammit said, chuckling.
Within minutes, the crowd disappeared.
“We just had an extra activity going on today," Humes said.
Christina Anaya teaches biology at Florida Gulf Coast University. Anaya told FOX 4 it’s not uncommon for foxes and coyotes to live in urban and suburban areas. Trash cans, dumpsters, and even small pets provide ample opportunity for food, Anaya said.
“Humans tend to carry around a lot of trash with them,” Anaya said. “So we make food readily available. So for those that do move into urban areas, there isn’t really a reason to leave, because they got everything they need.”
Anaya said coyotes generally do a good job at staying hidden. It’s possible the coyote in Fort Myers went to the hotel garage for shelter, Anaya said, and was startled onto the ledge by cars.
