January 15th 2025.
In a bizarre turn of events, a coyote was discovered inside a refrigerator at an Aldi grocery store in Chicago. The shocking scene left onlookers and the online community in disbelief. On Monday morning, the clever coyote managed to sneak into the open fridge section behind the tempting selection of fine cheeses at the store's Northwest Side location.
A video, which quickly went viral on social media, captured the moment when an Animal Care and Control officer and a police officer bravely confronted the coyote as curious customers gathered to witness the unexpected encounter. One daring individual even used the backside of a floor sweeper to prod at the animal before successfully dragging it out by its tail.
As the coyote made a quick dash back into the cooler, the spectators could be heard gasping in surprise. Luckily, no harm was done to the animal during this incident. One witness, who was present at the store located on 800 North Kedzie in Humboldt Park, shared with WLS that just minutes prior, the coyote was roaming the car park before making its way into the market.
Eventually, officials were able to safely capture the coyote, and representatives from the Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation were called in to pick it up for evaluation at around 7pm. Fortunately, it did not appear to have any injuries from the scuffle, and there were no reports of any humans being harmed during the incident.
According to one expert, the Cook County Coyote Project's Stan Gehrt, the coyote's choice of hiding spot was quite unusual. "They do this sometimes. They make a mistake. They're trying to avoid us. They're trying to hide from us," Gehrt explained to WLS. "Probably trying to find a new area to hide, ended up inside the store, and this has happened in the past."
It is not uncommon for coyote sightings to increase in the area from January to March due to their mating season. For the latest news updates, be sure to follow us on Metro. You can also join our community on WhatsApp for breaking news and juicy stories.
As for this particular coyote, it seems that it was just a transient animal, still searching for a mate. "Some of these animals, the ones especially that make a mistake, and they find themselves in a building, often are what we call transient animals, so these are animals that actually don't have a mate yet," Gehrt explained.
Another expert, Liza Lehrer, who is the assistant director of the Urban Wildlife Institute at Lincoln Park Zoo, shared that it is not entirely surprising for a coyote to enter a supermarket during the colder months. "That's kind of the time where a lot of different wildlife might be a little bit more active – during the daytime, unexpectedly," Lehrer told CBS News.
In the end, the coyote was safely removed from the cooler and will hopefully find its way back to its natural habitat. Let this be a reminder to always expect the unexpected, even at the grocery store.
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