Several residents of Malibu, California recently rendered life-saving assistance to a wild creature in distress. They had noticed a coyote in a wooded area. The animal’s head had become stuck in a long lightweight metal drainage pipe. The coyote could not remove the material, and could not access food or water effectively while trapped in the constricting material. The unfortunate creature had lost substantial weight and appeared in grave danger.
A woman riding on horseback observed the distressed coyote. Initially uncertain whether she had spotted a dog or a wild animal, she mentioned the situation to several neighbors. Someone called for emergency assistance from animal control experts. After a reported three and a half days, wildlife officers managed to capture the distressed coyote. Wild animals in distress usually seek to avoid people; even creatures which require medical attention will typically flee from well-intentioned human beings.
The rescue team transported the coyote to a veterinarian, who removed the entrapping metal pipe from the sedated animal in his office. He informed them that the coyote would not have survived much longer that way in the wild. She had developed a very poor body condition, reflecting severe weight loss.
The coyote benefited from a brief period of rest and recovery. She gradually returned to a better plane of health. When they determined that she would once again possess the strength and vitality to survive in the wild, her human captors decided to release her.
A small group of people assembled in Malibu in the same location where the coyote had previously wandered in distress. Happily, they watched an animal care expert release her from a dog crate. Without a backwards glance, she loped quickly into the woods.