SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A coyote made famous after swimming to Alcatraz Island in January recently gave scientists another surprise as they discovered where he came from. While it was previously assumed that the coyote crossed the choppy, frigid cold bay from San Francisco, DNA evidence pointed to a significantly longer swim. The coyote was spotted January 24 on Alcatraz Island by a visitor who recorded video of the surprise sighting. The documented evidence made its way to National Park Service staff, and a team of biologists set out to locate the newcomer. Study reveals ranging diet of San Francisco coyotes “Biologists found fresh coyote tracks and scat in the days after the sighting and installed trail cameras and audio recording devices to detect additional movement,” NPS wrote. “Despite months of follow-up monitoring, the coyote was never seen again or his presence captured on the recording devices.” While scientists are unsure about what ever happened to the coyote, the scat left behind underwent DNA analysis at the UC Davis Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit (MECU) to determine his origin. “Three distinct coyote populations could have been the source of the Alcatraz coyote: San Francisco, Southern Marin, and Angel Island,” said Dr. Ben Sacks of MECU. “Our lab was able to take the DNA sample and match it to a coyote previously sampled from the Angel Island population.” A bird flies above Alcatraz Island on Sunday, May 4, 2025, in the San Francisco Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Angel Island, situated 2 miles to the north of Alcatraz, doubled the assumed distance it would have swam from San Francisco. NPS wildlife ecologist Bill Merkle said biologists were impressed with the coyote’s accomplishment. “Coyotes are known to be resilient and adaptable, and he certainly demonstrated those qualities,” he said. Video: Coyote swims in Bay off Angel Island In the months since gaining notoriety as the only coyote documented on Alcatraz in more than 50 years, there have been no signs of his whereabouts and no further evidence that he is still on the island. No remains of the coyote were ever located. “We don’t know what happened to the coyote,” said Merkle. “But he proved himself an expert swimmer to get to Alcatraz, and I hope he made a successful swim back home to Angel Island.” Alcatraz Island became a federal prison in the 1930s, designed to house the worst criminals, but it closed in the 1960s because its remoteness made it too costly to operate. Still, 36 men attempted 14 separate escapes from Alcatraz. Nearly all were caught or didn't survive the cold, swift current. In 1973, the island reopened as a park. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ...read more read less