Young Coyote with Distemper
Today was an eventful day. My daughter missed her swimming class. She was sick over the weekend and was still a little hoarse and congested. Of course, she was not happy at all about my decision to keep her home and she cried.
Just before lunch our dog bark at a small animal that was walking down our drive-way. I happened to be right at the door and notice that it was not just any animal. My first impression was a coyote for we are visited by them often. After viewing it through the binoculars it looked like a fox. My daughter and I quietly watch it. It looked sick but I couldn’t tell how. I took some pictures and kept an eye on it. I did notice that it was a female.
After 3 hours, the young coyote was still laying around our yard and so my husband and I started placing phone calls. First to our vet, they recommend animal control. We called animal control, but they do not handle wildlife and recommend the IL Dept of Resources. So, we called them and recommend that we “bang it in the head” and put it out of it’s misery. BTW, the state of Illinois sucks when it comes to wildlife. There is not a clear way to contact anyone about wildlife, no website, do distinct department. I am from Missouri and they have a great Conservation Departement that is very wildlife friendly and very information. I never had a problem contacting the correct person or finding what I am looking for at Missouri Department of Conservation.
Anyhow, late in the afternoon, I finally got a hold of a license wildlife rescuer here in St. Clair County, IL and she came out to our farm. The coyote was a young one, probably born this past Spring. It had a bad case of distemper. Discharge was coming from the left eye and the poor fellow had an awful stinch. It could no longer keep it’s balance. Sandy the wildlife rescuer put her in a kennel and said that she will have to give the coyote pup a shot to put it to sleep. She said that it will peacefully go.
We called, Sandy, once before when we found some orphaned baby bunnies this Spring. For now on I will make her my first call when there is a wild animal that is in need of help. I understand the circle of life but I am too human for peaceful endings. This is the second time a coyote has come to farm for help. I believe they purposefully seek out humans for help. There are several species of wildlife here and we do not interfere. However, if ones come to my home for help I will give it.
Here are the pictures of the beautiful young coyote that graced us with her present today.
Click for larger pictures.
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