Starving, near-death coyote pup gets some TLC as he’s nursed back to health

A sickly 3-month-old coyote pup is on the road to recovery after being found starving and extremely dehydrated in the Coachella Valley.

A woman who discovered the coyote about 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Thousand Palms area brought the animal to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services. At first, the pup appeared near death, said John Welsh, the shelter’s spokesman.

Officials suspect the pup’s mother died and left the young coyote on his own, Welsh said.

Veterinarians wrapped the animal in a towel and gave him intravenous fluids and some dextrose — a type of simple sugar — through a large syringe. They immediately saw improvement.

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“He really perked up after we provided the dextrose,� Emily Vialpando, a veterinary technician with Riverside County Animal Services, said in a statement. “He really showed more life and looked around and stretched.�

The pup seemed to be smiling as he snuggled into a plush dog bed and received some chin scratches from an animal services employee. Video shows employees showering the coyote with affection, petting his head and rubbing his large pointed ears as he curls up for a nap.

Shelter officials reached out to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Palm Desert for suggestions on placement of the pup. They were referred to the Ramona-based nonprofit Fund for Animals Wildlife Center, which agreed to take the coyote and continue his rehabilitation, Welsh said.

While the presence of coyotes in urban areas often creates unease in communities — mostly because of the predators’ penchant for snatching small domesticated animals — they play an important role in the ecosystem by helping to keep rodent populations under control, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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