Coyote Rescue
Expressways tearing through forests, and housing developments along with shopping plazas
filling in natural habitats with concrete and non-native landscape are the main
culprits for increasing numbers of road kill.
Animals that have lived in the Florida woods for generations upon generations are being pushed out for more convenience stores and golf courses.
(Photo: Nearby Expressway)
Early Monday morning the 18th of June 2001, volunteers at Big Cat Rescue had just begun their morning chores, when a call came in. It was a referral call from the FL Fish & Game Commission. A report had come in of a Coyote hit by a car, lying on the side of the road where the Veterans Expressway meets Vann Dyke.
Volunteers were at the scene in no time, and came across the limp Coyote near a patch of wild growing watermelons, a favorite snack of Coyotes. The Coyote, a male, was in shock, therefore making the capture extremely easy. (photo: Loading coyote)
Big Cat Rescue Volunteers then transported the animal to one of Easy Street’s Veterinarians, Dr. Jim Ray of Carrollwood Cats. It
was after an X-ray of the limp Coyote that a badly broken front leg was
discovered. Dr. Ray could not fix
the break due to the severity and location.
The Coyote’s X-rays were sent to the Florida Bone and Joint
Specialists, whom were willing to do the surgery on the Coyote.
After a look at the X-rays,
however, they confirmed the sad news. The
Coyote’s leg had to be amputated. The
break was in such an area that it could barely have been fixed in a human, much
less a wild Coyote. (photo: Surgery2)
The Coyote is n
ow recovering from surgery at
Big Cat Rescue, with antibiotics and round the clock care from dedicated volunteers.
He is also in quarantine, far from the 200 animals that call Easy Street
home.
(Photo: Recovery)
It is such a sad thing to see animals suffer the consequences of over population and development. Coyotes are few in numbers in this area but sightings are increasing as their habitats are being destroyed.
Coyotes
are an important link in Florida’s Biodiversity.
They keep the small rodent 
population under control.
Without all the elements of biodiversity, one species will continue to
grow rapidly until it is deemed a nuisance and is permitted for hunting.
Hunting will then wipe out that species as we have seen happen time and
time again, the Canadian Lynx, the Wolves, and so on. (photo: Point of Impact)
Coyotes are also the victims of misinformation. Contrary to popular belief, Coyotes do not pose a threat to humans. There are very few reports from the western United States of Coyotes biting humans. This behavior is very unusual as Coyotes are timid towards people.
Big Cat Rescue needs your help to care for the Coyote that was robbed of his freedom. Robbed by the human population, robbed by an unknown motorist. Sadly, on June 21, 2001 the coyote died from the enormity of his injuries.
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