Too-tame coyote pup learning to be wily
Injured animal recovering at rehabilitation centre in southern Saskatchewan
An injured young coyote is on the mend, but it's also learning how to live in the wild again.
The animal was recently turned in to the Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre near Regina.
It was found injured after apparently being struck by a vehicle.
After the animal was treated and given a flea bath, the centre discovered it was quite tame. It was as if it had been raised by people and then released, they said.
They're worried that when the animal's health is restored, it might not be able to fend for itself.
And so, they're trying the buddy system.
Too-tame pup paired with other coyote
They've sent the coyote to another centre, called Moose Mountain R n R Rehabilitation, and paired it up with a wild coyote that's about the same age.
The hope is the human-raised critter will learn from its more feral pal.
So far, the plan appears to be working. The two pups met last week and appear to be getting along.
The plan is they can successfully release the coyotes to the wild.
Salthaven West said it hopes people can learn from this case.
"While people generally mean well, it is very important not to raise a wild animal yourself without proper training and education as you could be doing more harm to the animal than good," the centre said on its Facebook page.
