Unexpected Visitor Vexes SU
Canny Canis latrans tries to sneak into Daft Ball.
ºìÌÒÊÓƵ played host to an unexpected guest in November when a wild coyote pup slunk into the SU ballroom. The canny Canis latrans, presumably hoping to join the annual Daft Ball that was scheduled to take place later that night, hunkered down beneath the catwalk until spotted by several keen-eyed students. Growing restless, the beast—apparently a juvenile—then attempted to escape through a window but was thwarted by the glass. Dazed and confused, it decided that a better course of action would be to hide behind the curtains. Several attempts were made to extract the creature, but it refused to emerge from its curtained den when tempted with fresh meat pillaged from Commons and was unreceptive to commands from even the highest-ranking CSO.
Coyotes have been increasingly spotted roaming the canyon in recent years. The Portland Audubon Society says they are generally “shy and wary” and present “minimal risk” to humans. They are also notoriously hard to trap. When calls to the local wildlife rescue came to naught (closed on weekends), students started to worry—would Daft Ball be cancelled? With disaster looming, an official from Multnomah County Animal Control finally arrived on the scene and used a snare pole to guide the timid beast outside, whereupon the young coyote promptly dashed into the canyon.