Four teenage boys from Chicago have been cited for their involvement in the death of a coyote earlier this month on the city’s Far South Side. The incident has drawn attention from both police and state wildlife officials.
The boys, aged 16 and 17, are accused of a shocking act of cruelty. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the teens reportedly shot a coyote with a bow and then stomped on it in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood on January 11. The situation unfolded on the 10600 block of South Sacramento Avenue, where authorities received a call about a young coyote being mistreated.
Both Illinois Conservation Police and Chicago police looked into the incident. Following their investigation, the teens were issued several citations. They were charged with hunting without adult supervision, hunting on private property without the owner’s permission, hunting too close to a residential area (within 100 yards of a home), and leaving the coyote’s body on private land without proper authorization.
This act of animal cruelty has upset many in the community, and wildlife officials have reiterated the importance of treating animals humanely, even in situations involving wildlife. While the legal process will determine the consequences for the teens, this incident serves as a reminder of the need for education and respect for nature in urban areas like Chicago.
