We describe the use of a combination of tiletamine and zolazepam (Zoletil®) for chemical restraint of South American coatis (Nasua nasua) under field conditions. We immobilized 53 coatis from a free-ranging population at Iguaçu National Park, Brazil, with Zoletil. Males and females (1.0–8.7 kg) of different age groups participated in the study. Four dosage (milligram per kilogram body weight) groups were created based on quartiles as follows: 1) 4.76–6.68 mg/kg (n=13), 2) 6.83–7.71 mg/kg (n=13), 3) 7.72–8.68 mg/kg (n=18), and 4) 8.98–11.57 mg/kg (n=9). Variables analyzed were sex, age, body weight, dosage, induction time, handling time (HT: time elapsed between the onset of immobilization and first signs of recovery), time from injection to first stand-up posture after anesthesia, heart and respiratory rates, and body temperature. Mean (±SD) induction time was 2.9 (±1.4) min and was positively correlated with age. In dosage groups 1–4, mean HTs were 40.3 (±24.0), 64.5 (±19.1), 54.8 (±15.0), and 60.3 (±12.0), respectively. Handling time had a positive linear relationship with age and body weight, but the relationship between HT and dosage was nonlinear. Group 1 had a shorter HT compared to the other groups combined. Time from injection to first stand-up was 105.0 (±33.5) min. Zoletil was quick acting and safe for immobilization of coatis in the wild.