A viral video making its rounds on social media after a coyote was pulled out of a refrigerated produce shelf at an Aldi’s in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood.
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The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m., leading police to corner the animal behind the shelf and make several attempts to remove it. The coyote was pulled by its tail but returned to the fridge, leaving customers stunned by the encounter. According to CBS News, Chicago Animal Care and Control received multiple calls about the unusual incident, but due to staffing issues, the agency relied on police to handle the situation.
By the evening, CACC officials took custody of the animal and transferred it to the Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation for assessment. The coyote appeared uninjured and is expected to be released back into the wild if deemed healthy. However, coyote sightings are not uncommon in Chicago, as the CACC reportedly received 1,358 complaints about coyotes in 2024 since the animals are active from January through March.
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Chris Anchor of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County said in a statement that the animal was most likely attempting to avoid people when it entered the store.
“These animals are doing everything they can to stay away from us,”
