Casual Coyote Enjoys One Of The Most Iconic Views In Shuttered Yosemite

Normally, this spot in Yosemite National Park would be teeming with visitors on a warm spring day. But with the park closed amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the view tourists often jostle for belongs to a solitary coyote. 

A picture shared on the park’s social media channels shows the coyote sitting in the parking lot of Yosemite Valley Lodge. There, the lucky coyote has a view of Upper Yosemite Falls and much of the Lower Yosemite Falls in all their springtime glory, when melting snow from the high country leads to near-peak conditions:

Park staff say the wildlife has been more active than usual in places the animals tend to avoid when humans are present. 

“Since the closure, it has been interesting to see more animals using roads and walkways and visiting developed areas of the park,” staff wrote on social media. 

In the absence of visitors, the park’s been hosting events on its Facebook page. On Wednesday, Yosemite Museum curator Ephriam Dickson will show off “some unusual pieces in the collection.”