'Famous coyote patient' returns to wild after driver who thought he'd hit a dog picked it up

A coyote that regained consciousness in a car,after a Manitoba driver hit what he thought was a dog and put it in his vehicle, is back in the wild.

It took a month of tender, loving care at the Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre for the wild animal to return tohealth, regain itsreflexesand exhibitnormal coyote behaviours, the centre's executive director said.

"It was time to release our famous coyote patient back to the wild," saidZo Nakata.

On his way to worka night shift,Eli Boroditsky was driving 90 km/hon the highway around 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 27 when an animalsuddenly jumped in front of hisvehicle.

Thinking it was a dog, he picked up the knocked-out creature, put it in the back of his carand continued on his way to Bothwell Cheese in New Bothwell, Man., about 40 kilometres south of Winnipeg.

"It is amazing how docile it was. I was petting it," Boroditsky said at the time.

When Boroditsky arrived at work, another man recognized it as a coyote, he said.

They tried calling local conservation officers and rehab centres, but were told to call back in the morning. A Manitoba Conservation officer came by after 9 a.m. and delivered the coyote to Wildlife Haven, located in nearby Ile des Chnes.

The nocturnal mammal didn't have any broken bones, but it did have a few cuts:one on its face and another on its rear legs, likely from the impact of the collision, staff at the centre said.

For the next month, a volunteer care teamkept a close eye on the animal's progress.Volunteersassessed the coyote's injuries, came up with treatment and nutrition plans, andused special techniques and tools to try tokeep it wild.

"You get emotionally involved with these patients," Nakata said.

To limit human interaction and to avoid stressing the animal out, they usually observed the coyoteusing trail cameras set up in its temporary shelter at the centre.

During the recovery process, the care team analyzed the animal's behaviour to see whether it still acted like a regular coyote,in terms of ability to hunt and to evade threats in the wild.

Volunteers also worked with conservation workers to locate a proper release spotin its natural habitat.

They went backto the area where the coyote was hit, opened the crate and watched it return to an open field on Dec. 27one month after the collision.

"She did really well," Nakata said. "She takes a few moments to get her bearings."

Watch thefully recovered coyote returnto the wild:

'Famous coyote patient' released to wild

5 years ago

Duration 0:26

A coyote that garnered international attention after a man accidentally hit it with his car, picked it up thinking it was a dog and took it to the Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre for tender loving care has returned to the wild. Video courtesy: Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre.

The releasewas a rewarding experience for the small volunteer crew, Nakata said. "It's such a beautiful sight," she said.

The coyote became a media darling, garneringinternational attention, with stories published by CNN and the Washington Post.

Nakata advises anyone who comes across a hurt or unconscious animal to "keep yourself safe." She suggestsimmediately contacting Manitoba Conservationor Wildlife Haven, andcontaining the critter in a separate crate for transport.

The centre is permitted to rehabilitate and care for injured, sick and orphaned birds,including eagles, hawks, owlsand falcons; mammals, including rabbits, squirrels, bats, foxes, raccoons and bobcats; and amphibians and reptiles, such as turtles, frogs, salamanders andsnakes.

"Animal safety is very important, but people safety is number 1," Nakata said.