An hour-long hunt for a coyote at Myrtle Beach International Airport on Tuesday morning ended with a taser.
At approximately 10 a.m., a coyote ventured into the South Carolina airport through the baggage area and ran across check-in to the security checkpoint, where it was cornered. No one was allowed in the area until the animal had been captured, though no flights were delayed.
Video of the coyote running through baggage claim at MYR @wmbfnews pic.twitter.com/p5K0bf73Wa— Catherine Franklin (@cfranklin123) December 22, 2015
BREAKING: There is a #coyote in #MYR Airport in @TSA check point area. Call in around 10 am Animal control is on the scene trying to capture— Jay Rodriguez (@TSN_JRodriguez) December 22, 2015
At about 10:30 a.m. a coyote found its way into MB Int'l Airport Terminal. Animal Control caught him and DNR took custody.No bites-all safe.— Horry County PD (@horrycountypd) December 22, 2015
Animal Control and Horry County Police were called to the scene.
Animal control tasered the coyote at a TSA security checkpoint, airport spokesman Kirk Lovell told local news outlets.
This is the Coyote that was running around MYR this morning. @wmbfnews pic.twitter.com/2xcvVOvKGm— Catherine Franklin (@cfranklin123) December 22, 2015
Horry County Animal Control corralled and captured the coyote who ventured into the #MyrtleBeach airport. No flights delayed.— Emily Weaver (@TSNEmily) December 22, 2015
At 11:13 a.m., the Department of Natural Resources arrived at the airport. The coyote had already been captured by Animal Control, First Sargent Nate Hutson told Mashable. The DNR put the animal down, according to procedure.
"We can't take it somewhere else. We can't make it somebody else's problem," Hutson said. "We couldn't release the coyote in case it went right back into the airport. That's the last thing we need during this busy holiday week."
DNR just told us the Coyote running around MYR was put down after it was caught. Sad ending. @wmbfnews— Catherine Franklin (@cfranklin123) December 22, 2015
Hutson said that this is the first incident of a coyote entering a building that he has seen. In September, the city of Myrtle Beach released a brochure about frequent coyote sightings.
Mashable has reached out to Horry County Police and will update as more information becomes available.