When a man saw something strange floating among the debris of a flooded river in San Diego, he knew that it was an animal in need of help.
He immediately called the San Diego Humane Society, who, because the animal was too far out, weren’t able to get to it by land.
However, when they saw that the animal had its head stuck in a plastic container, they knew that they had no time to lose, so they called for some reinforcements.
Rescue Mission
Since the only way to get to the animal was by boat, the rescue team asked the lifeguards for help.
Two lifeguards immediately responded to the call and, in no time, were on the river, rowing towards the animal.
Even though the harsh weather made the rescue harder, the two determined hoomans managed to reach it.
While rowing back to safety, the lifeguards managed to get the animal, who they suspected to be a dog, onto land and in the safe hands of the animal rescuers.
The dog was wrapped up in a blanket and brought into a truck so that it could be taken to the nearest San Diego Wildlife Center in order to get the plastic container removed.
Finally Safe
As soon as the dog reached the Wildlife Center, the staff started removing the container from its head. However, when they finally saw the dog’s face, they came to a shocking realization.
This was not a dog at all!
The rescued animal was actually a wild coyote.
But, it didn’t matter which animal it was; the staff was still more than happy to help as he was suffering from mild hypothermia and had a lot of cactus spines in his fur as well as some wounds that needed to be taken care of.
After spending the day at the Wildlife Center, the coyote was transferred to another one that focuses on rehabilitating apex predators.
The staff is sure that this beautiful coyote will recover in no time, and therefore, be returned to the wild where it belongs.
Please Remember
It is very important that when coming into contact with wild coyotes, you do not approach them!
Since coyotes, along with raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes, are susceptible to a number of rabies virus variants, approaching them puts you at risk of getting bitten by them and contracting rabies as well.
So, if you do come across a coyote who needs help, please contact your local animal or wildlife center, as they are trained professionals and will know exactly what to do and how to safely do it.
