Cosmopolitan Coyote
He was famous - back in July of 2008, a young coyote had the misfortune of finding himself on the streets of the Bronx. The local animal control went out on the hunt. After the chase took the pup and his pursuers through yards and alleys, under cars and behind garbage pails, he was captured and thrust into a van to be transported to the local animal shelter. The terror and stress that this animal was to experience would almost cause the end of his life. Shelter personnel reached out to save his life, and the STAR Foundation was contacted. The plan was to hold him for a 10 day rabies watch, as he had been running through a highly populated area, and human contact was likely to have taken place. After he was proven rabies free, we hoped that he could be transferred to a facility in a more appropriate area for training and release. This won't be hard - it is what we do! Piece of cake - right?On his third day with us he became critically ill. He had been exposed to diseases in the animal shelter that coyotes have no immunity to. He was rushed off to our exotics vet, Dr. Kolins, where he was diagnosed with Parvovirus, and his prognosis was poor. Doc K. is not the kind to give up. Supportive treatment and intensive care, along with the donation of an expensive human medication by Dr. Louis Rose, got the coyote through the illness. His intestinal lining was destroyed by the virus, and he needed many more weeks of plasma, high protein foods, and physical therapy to rebuild his muscle strength. We hustled to build an appropriate pen for the coyote to live in while he regained his health, and pretty much cleaned out our bank account at the same time.
When Cosmo arrived at our facility, we put him in his new home, with lots of room and his own den and pond. Whether due to his extreme muscle atrophy, or possibly an injury he sustained during his chase and capture, we found when he was allowed space to run that he has a disability in his rear foot. Within 30 minutes in his new pen he had dragged his foot on the new concrete floor and degloved the top of his toes. He was moved to an inside pen, and we started to treat his new wound.
He is being exercised to build up his muscles, and he is eating well. The foot problem, however, looks to be permanent. He will never be able to run wild and free again. He is currently looking for a more suitable situation where he can live his life.
At this time we have not found any other organization or facility that would consider taking him in as his foot may be a problem that will have to be continuously addressed. So for now we try to make him comfortable. He is easy to handle, but is, of course, a wild animal who does not want to be touched. He is not a happy camper.
All he did wrong was to wander into an area that people have claimed as theirs. His family lives in Van Cortland Park. The city is aware that they live there, and when asked why this little guy could not be put back there we were told that the city wants them all out of there. Where are the wild animals supposed to live? There is a balance in nature where there are predators. If there were wolves and bobcats and coyotes then there would be a smaller population of raccoons, squirrels and rodents. Pets should be watched and protected and predators would not be an issue if pet owners took responsibility for their pets safety. But this will never happen. Humans will always have dominion, and make life and death decisions over the animals we share our earth with. In the end we will all suffer the loss.
September 21, 2008
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