At one point, authorities tried to corner the animal in the south east corner of the park, by an ice skating rink but the clever creature jumped into the water, ducked under a bridge, then scampered through the rink grounds and ran off.
The coyote was captured somewhere north of that area, Parks Department spokesman Ashe Reardon said.
The hunt had been on since Tuesday afternoon when Parks
Commissioner Adrian Benepe, among others, spotted the animal in the south east corner of the park, not far from the Upper East Side.
"It didn't look the least bit worried. He leaped over the fence and disappeared in the park," said Commissioner Benepe.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg quipped, "This is New York, and I would suggest the coyote may have more problems than the rest of us".
While coyotes do not usually pose a threat to people, Commissioner Benepe warned park visitors to keep their dogs leashed to protect the pets.
Police officers finally found and shot at the animal with a tranquilizer dart but it escaped into a wooded area.
It was later captured and the coyote, nicknamed Hal by Parks Department staffers, was taken to a New York state wildlife facility.
The coyote may have wandered into the city from Westchester County, probably swimming across a river to reach Manhattan.
Another coyote which found its way to Central Park in 1999 now resides in the Queens Zoo.