Coyote evades capture after drivers spot it on bridge in SC tourist town, cops say

Drivers crossing a South Carolina bridge noticed a furry animal on the edge of traffic, officials said.

A coyote was roaming the roadside along the Don Holt Bridge, which spans the Cooper River and is part of busy Interstate 526, according to the Charleston Police Department.

Officers in the popular tourist destination responded to reports of a coyote at about 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2. Police “briefly” stopped traffic as an animal control worker tried to catch the critter, according to Sgt. Elisabeth Wolfsen, a department spokesperson.

But the coyote ran into a nearby tarp and ended up going underneath the bridge, officials said.

“Animal control officers could not locate it and decided to leave it alone and allow the animal to come out on its own,” Sgt. Lee Mixon told McClatchy News in an email.

After the coyote evaded capture, officials said the bridge reopened to traffic.

Coyotes live in all South Carolina counties and can grow to be more than 60 pounds. They may prey on other animals but rarely attack people, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

“While they do well in agricultural communities, their relatively high tolerance for human populations allows coyotes to exist in most areas of South Carolina,” the agency said on its website. “This includes mountainous regions, swamps, dense forests, as well as suburban areas.”