A coyote caught on camera swimming towards 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 get off the pier when a tourist showed him a video she had captured of a coyote swimming toward shore and climbing onto rocks.
Moore, who posted the video on Facebook, said he contacted rangers on the island, but they were unable to find the animal.
Moore stressed that he suspects the coyote may have returned to the water, but it could also be hiding somewhere on the island.
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Janet Kessler, an amateur naturalist who has studied coyote behavior in San Francisco for two decades, said she would be able to survive on the island for at least a short time.
According to her, there are enough food sources and freshwater ponds to support the coyote.
The coyote may have come from San Francisco or Angel Island, where coyotes had previously been spotted.
However, the animal would have to swim over a mile to Alcatraz. /Telegraph/
