The Unseen Fauna of the Concrete Jungle
While the popular imagination often reduces New York City’s wildlife to the ubiquitous pigeon or the elusive rat, the reality is far more complex. Beneath the towering skyline, a diverse array of species navigates the urban landscape. Among those documenting this hidden world are photographers Jacqueline Emery and David Lei, a duo who have spent over half a decade observing and capturing the lives of Central Park’s most charismatic inhabitants.
Emery, an English chair at SUNY, and Lei, a real estate investor, first gained widespread recognition for their intimate documentation of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo in 2023. Their work, compiled in the book Finding Flaco: Our Year with New York City’s Beloved Owl, provided a rare, empathetic look at a bird navigating a foreign environment. Today, their focus has shifted to the park’s resident coyote pair, Romeo and Juliet, whose presence in Manhattan serves as a testament to the resilience of nature.
The Arrival of the Central Park Coyotes
The presence of coyotes in Manhattan is a relatively recent phenomenon. Jacqueline Emery recalls her first encounter in March 2019, describing the moment she spotted a large canid moving through the Ramble with remarkable agility. “I was immediately struck by her beauty and her agility,” Emery notes. “She was running over rocks as if nothing was there.”
David Lei’s observations began later, in 2021, while he was tracking a snowy owl. The pair eventually confirmed the presence of a mated pair, Romeo and Juliet, in early 2024. Their documentation highlights the unique challenges these animals face, from navigating human-dominated spaces to the persistent threat of rodenticides in the ecosystem.
Advocacy and Coexistence
Beyond the lens, Emery and Lei have transitioned into vocal advocates for urban wildlife. They emphasize that the risk coyotes pose to humans is minimal, provided that residents follow basic safety protocols. Their advocacy centers on simple, actionable strategies: maintaining a respectful distance and ensuring dogs are kept on leashes to prevent unnecessary conflict.
The duo is particularly concerned about the impact of rodenticides, which have been linked to the health issues of several high-profile birds of prey in the park, including the late Barry the barred owl and Flaco. By documenting the coyotes sniffing at bait boxes, they hope to raise awareness about the unintended consequences of pest control methods on the city’s apex predators.
Capturing the Urban Wild
For those interested in wildlife photography, Emery and Lei suggest that high-end equipment is secondary to patience and respect. “People can get some amazing stuff with their cellphone and binoculars just by watching the animals on their own terms,” Lei explains. By prioritizing the animal’s comfort and observing from a distance, photographers can capture authentic moments that reveal the secret, vibrant lives of the city’s wild residents.
