Barnstable-based Cape Wildlife Center said the family last week found the animal “straying and distressed by the side of a busy road,” reports WBZ-TV.
“He was then accidentally brought home by a local family after they misidentified him as a lost puppy,” the center posted on Facebook. “After noticing their mix-up, they called us for help.”
The center, along with the Department of Health, determined that the coyote pup had not been exposed to rabies. Recovering at the center, he is soon introduced to a Rhode Island foster sibling coyote.
The coyote pups are vaccinated and raised together in “as much natural upbringing as possible” at the center.
Officials say this was a fortunate result considering how susceptible coyotes are to the deadly rabies virus.
“This case had a happy ending, but it could have ended differently,” the center said. “If the finders had bitten, scratched, or had prolonged contact, we would have been assigned to euthanize the pup and test for rabies.”
The center says people are encouraged to contact the relevant authorities before stepping in to help wildlife.
The CNN Wire
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https://abc13.com/lost-puppy-baby-coyote-barnstable-massachusetts-cape-wildlife-center/11822759/ Massachusetts family mistakes baby coyote for lost pup
