Back in the Wild -The "Scarborough Coyote" gets a Second Chance

Toronto Wildlife Centre had received many calls over several weeks about a coyote, sick with severe mange in Scarborough - bare, scabbed, and very thin.  Despite wearing an MNR radio-collar, this coyote outsmarted the smartest of rescuers and eluded capture for weeks until finally he was caught by the MNR in conjunction with TWC.  He was known as the "Scarborough Coyote" in the media, and his progress was followed by many that were concerned about his plight.

After receiving great care for several weeks at TWC's main facility, I was excited to learn that this coyote was being moved to his pre-release location, where I help to care for the animals.  This is where animals who are now much healthier become reacclimatized to life in the wild, learning to once again deal with weather change in a more wild setting.

When he first arrived he was frightened and did not emerge from his shelter, but soon he became confident and showed us the formidable animal he is when he's at his best.  Beautiful, piercing yellow eyes, and a bold confidence, mixed in with exactly the right amount of skittishness.  It was evident that he was ready to go back home.

I was thrilled to be part of the release team.

Excitement mounted as the afternoon wore on.  First, he had to be caught up and the tracking collar refastened (he is part of an MNR study, and the collar is set to fall off after a certain number of weeks).   This was no easy task as this is a large, strong and smart coyote.

Moving swiftly to get him into his kennel cab

Then, a drive to his release site, which we accessed through the generosity of a nice couple who live within his territory.  Finally, that bittersweet moment when the door of the kennel cab opens.  After a few seconds of indecision, the coyote determines that life is way better on home turf than with us.

A momentary contemplation...

And then...

I'm outta here!

It was a great release, with an awesome group of people.  A big thanks to the couple who allowed us access to their property, and for taking the time to call for help when they saw he needed it.

Here's a great slow-mo video captured by Dan, a member of the release team:

...And a few media links to the Coyote's story.  You'd never know by looking at these "before" photos that this is the same animal.

Sicklooking Coyote on the Prowl in Scarborough (Toronto Star)
Toronto Wildlife Centre Captures Sick Coyote In Scarborough