Strangers to Chicago, and even us hard-bitten natives, are wary of muggers in the parks and after dark. I recently learned that all last winter, as my dog and I were happily roaring around the Wooded Isle nature preserve near my home,
we were stalked all winter by a coyote that was living in the preserve. I saw it once from a distance and thought it was a German Shephered. Little did I know that as we were sliding on the ice, our silent companion was thinking of breakfast. Now I don’t know if I’ll be brave enough to go back out this coming winter.
I’ve seen foxes near my home, pheasant, and beavers, but the coyote is a first. Given that I live in a dense-packed neighborhood, roughly 50,000 people in a city of 3 million, these sightings always amaze me.
