Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A coyote caught on camera swimming to San Francisco's Alcatraz Island is believed to be the first of its species to visit the former prison, which is now a tourist attraction.
Aidan Moore, a guest relations employee for Alcatraz City Cruises, said he was helping visitors disembark at the dock when a tourist showed him a video she captured of a coyote swimming to shore and climbing up onto the rocks.
Moore, who posted the video to Facebook, said he contacted rangers on the island, but they were unable to locate the animal.
Moore said he suspects the coyote may have gone back into the water, but it could also be hiding out somewhere on the island.
Janet Kessler, an amateur naturalist who has been studying coyote behavior in San Francisco for two decades, said the canine would be able to survive on the island for at least a short time. She said there are ample sources of food and puddles of fresh water to sustain the coyote.
