Coyote rescue goes awry for Sahuarita teen

For a Sahuarita teen who tried to rescue a coyote pup, the best of intentions produced a painful learning experience.

The 17-year-old girl encountered the pup Friday, June 16, on the front porch of a neighbor’s house. Believing that it had been abandoned by its mother, she picked it up to take it to a rescue organization and was bitten on her left hand. She is being treated for rabies out of caution, and the pup was euthanized.

The animal most likely was not in need of rescue at all, according to Mark Hart, an Arizona Game and Fish Department public information officer.

“It’s very common for wildlife mothers to leave their offspring unattended so that they can go feed,” Hart said. “Typically they try and find what is perceived to be a safe place. Mom may have thought, ‘House is vacant, there’s no activity here, this is a fine place for (the pup).’

“We don’t believe it was abandoned,” Hart said. “Even though it appeared that way to the teen, in all probability it was not.”

While the timeline of events is uncertain, an initial call was made to the Tucson Wildlife Center. A staffer there informed the would-be rescuer that the center could not take the animal in unless it was injured and recommended that the animal be returned to the location it was found. In another call, the Game and Fish Department made the same recommendation.

According to Hart, the teen instead took the animal to the Tucson Wildlife Center. Within this timeframe, the teenage girl was bit on the left index finger while handling the pup.

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“Any wildlife that attacks a human, by policy, is put down. Moreover we needed to test that coyote pup for rabies, which can’t be done while the animal is alive,” said Hart.

While the results of the examination are not yet known, the teen’s rabies treatment was begun out of caution.

Heading into the summer months, Hart said, Tucsonans are likely to encounter litters of various wildlife, including coyotes, Cooper’s hawks, deer and bobcats. While it may appear that a young animal has been abandoned if it’s left alone, Hart urges the public to not intervene.

“In general, a young (animal) that is left unattended for more than 24 hours may be abandoned,” he said. “However, we don’t want people effecting a rescue on their own. We want people to call us so that we can evaluate next steps or talk to a certified rehabber.

“The only indicator (that animal has been abandoned) would be if it’s unattended for 24 hours.”

If young wildlife is found and suspected to be abandoned, Hart counseled, do not intervene. Instead, call the Arizona Game & Fish Department’s Phoenix dispatch at (623) 236-7201.