BABY COYOTE(S)
Staying with their biological parent is their best chance of survival.
1. OBSERVE
Where did you find the baby?
People may experience a period of several weeks when the pups are old enough to feel adventurous but are left unattended while the parents go off in search of food. This is normal.
Coyote pups will be unsupervised for long periods of time while both parents are out hunting. The pups may be out all day and act like puppies, tumbling and romping in play throughout the yard. If they are energetic and playful, just leave them alone.
Do not teach them bad habits.
As cute as the pups are, it is important not to feed them or initiate contact, or the pups may lose their fear of humans, ultimately leading to their demise. Once the parents decide the pups are old enough to go on hunting outings, they will disappear.
2. REUNITE
Is the baby alone?
There are not many instances when reuniting is necessary for this species, but seeing just one puppy is not normal (they have litters).
Both parents raise the young:
Even if one parent is killed, the other can usually take over (unless the mother is killed while nursing dependent young). The young pups are often alone for long periods of time while the parents are off hunting for food. If a pup is abandoned, it is possible that the animal is sickly.
3. CALL
Call for help if:
Contact Laurie Fortin at DEEP: laurie.fortin@ct.gov only if the pups appear sickly or weak, or if there is a reason to believe that no parent is returning to care for them, or if you have reason to believe both parents are dead.
In Connecticut, rehabilitators are not allowed to care for coyotes. In some cases, out-of-state placement is possible.
Does the coat look patchy?
If a young or adult coyote who has partial or complete hair loss is seen, this usually indicates sarcoptic mange, caused by a microscopic mite that moves around in the skin. Animals with mange lose hair and weight; they become debilitated, their skin becomes cracked and encrusted with heavy scabs and they usually die within a few months, as a result.
Treatment without capture:
Some rehabilitators report success treating mange in the field by giving the afflicted animal a piece of hot dog or chicken with a small pea-sized dab of Ivermectin (Strongid horse wormer) injected into it, administered every five days for three rounds. Note that this is considered “off-label” usage of this product. You will need to develop a strategy so that the afflicted animal receives the treatment. Never leave out medicated food as the wrong animal might get it.