A coyote is recovering in San Diego after being rescued from a flooded field, where he was found with a bucket stuck to his head.
San Diego Humane Law Enforcement, a division of the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS), was called to the flooded Tijuana River Valley on Monday after an animal believed to be a dog was seen floating in the debris with a bucket taped to its head, SDHS said in statement to PEOPLE on Thursday.
Upon further inspection at the scene, officers discovered that the animal was not a dog, but a young male coyote. SDHS requested the help of city lifeguards to reach the animal by boat because the terrain was difficult to navigate.
A coyote was found with its head stuck in a bucket.
San Diego Humane Society
After being rescued from the field, the coyote was sent to the Bahde Wildlife Center for treatment, which initially included sedation and pain medication. The veterinary team then removed the bucket from the animal’s head.
After the bucket was removed, the coyote was further evaluated, including fluids and x-rays.
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“He was wet, suffering from mild hypothermia, had cactus spines stuck in his fur and wounds that required care,” SDHS said in a statement.
The day after his care began, the dog was transferred to SDHS’s Ramona Wildlife Center, home to a team that cares for top predators.
“It is our hope that this young coyote will be able to recover and return to the wild soon,” SDHS concluded.
News of this coyote rescue comes just months after an unsuspecting homeowner discovered another coyote in California sleeping on outdoor furniture.
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The coyote was stuck in the flood, surrounded by debris.
San Diego Humane Society
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At the time, San Francisco Animal Care & Control (SFACC) tweeted that an officer called to the home “encouraged this sleepy coyote on the couch to move on and find the coyote a more convenient (but less comfortable) place to sleep.”
SFACC he said on Xformerly known as Twitter, that the coyote took the officer’s advice.
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Source: HIS Education