WILDLIFE-RESCUE.ORG / WINTER 2021
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WILDLIFE-RESCUE.ORG / WINTER 2021
Dear Members, of why the work WRR does is pups and they attempted to
Though we often hear or read so important and to be ever kill them and their mother, and
about the myriad cruelties vigilant in our individual lives miraculously they had failed.
inflicted on animals, our to educate others and in so Now the coyote family needed
perspective on this can change doing perhaps help put an end help. There is nothing to be
dramatically when we witness to the suffering of animals. gained by going into details
it firsthand. Like others working It was well over twenty years here—why these young men
to protect animals, I have seen ago, but I still remember the did what they did—suffice
more than I care to remember night the call came in. The it to say that the pups, three
of such cruelties and I do my voice on the phone was that females and a small male, were
best to make my recounting of a young man; he was upset badly burned. Their mother
of these incidents bearable and frightened, yet there was a had been shot several times
to you, the reader. I have determination in his voice that but somehow every member
no desire to shock or upset, made me pay close attention of this family was alive.
but I do believe it is critically to his every word. He had been The incident occurred near
important for each of us to out with some friends; they Mason, Texas. I was a couple
have a deep understanding had found a den of coyote —
Cont’d on page 2: Lynn’s Letter
OUR MISSION
To rescue,
rehabilitate, and
release native
wildlife, and to
provide sanctuary,
individualized care,
and a voice for
other animals
in need.
Cont’d from page 1 blankets and a gun. I grabbed
bandages, bedding, gloves and
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lynn’s Letter medicines and walked out to
meet him. What I could not see
Lynn Cuny, of hours away until I reached his truck were
Founder/President
from the scene of four coyote pups tucked into
Maj Gen. Chris Divich (Ret.), Chair
the mayhem but dirty cardboard boxes sitting
Tim Ajax the young man beside his vehicle. The pups had
Cathy Amato
Sissy Sailors
gave me detailed lost most of their fur and had
directions and been badly burned; there was
promised to wait a scent of gasoline on each of
CONTACT US
till I got there.. The narrow, rock them. The mother was comatose
wildlife-rescue.org
strewn road that turned off but she was breathing; the
info@wildlife-rescue.org
P.O. Box 369 the highway took me deeper gunshot wounds that riddled her
Kendalia, Texas 78027 into a small canyon. There was body left open wounds and torn
Phone: 830-336-2725 juniper, live oaks, native grasses flesh but she had done her best
Fax: 830-336-3733
and dense cover peppering the to keep them clean, and now,
WRR Sherman Animal Care Complex
rugged landscape. It was ideal exhausted, she had fallen into
1354 Basse Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78212 coyote habitat. deep sleep. The young man put
It was also a hunting lease that aside his gun and asked how he
a set number of people were could help. Between the two of
Search WRRTX on: us we cleaned the pups’ raw skin
allowed to use, the intent of
the landowner being to keep and applied soothing ointments
the deer population down. She and clean bandages. We lifted
prohibited the killing of any the mother into a large crate
other animals. Not living on where she could rest on dense,
the property, she wasn’t able soft blankets; her pups were
Wildlife Rescue & now nearby in clean carriers.
Rehabilitation is a 501(c)(3) to police the activities of the
non-profit organization. We lessees. As I navigated the final The trek back to the sanctuary
rely on contributions
from individuals and turn the road ended in the midst seemed to take forever, but
foundations. of thick scrub and there stood the WRR vet had been put
Donate today at my caller. He was perched on the on alert and our surgery
Wildlife-Rescue.org
back of his truck holding several room was ready for the new
2
patients. For the next few During the first grueling week Misconceptions
hours every precaution was of her treatment the mother About Coyotes
taken to keep the coyote coyote tolerated the injections
family calm. The lights were and fluid therapy. She allowed
dimmed as we cleaned the us to remove and replace
gasoline from every fiber bandages, and since she was
of the youngsters’ fur and barely clinging to life, nothing
washed and coated their eyes we did seemed to matter.
with healing ointments. Their From being a free-roaming
supple, sensitive noses had coyote with a litter of pups
been burned by the fuel’s to love and care for, she was
toxic fumes and their once now a captive wild animal in a
soft whiskers were singed foreign environment with little
bristles now, rigid and broken will to go on living. • For over a century coyotes
into shards. But with each have been disproportionately
By the end of their second
restorative treatment we could blamed for killing sheep,
week of care the coyote lambs, chickens, and other
see a glimmer of brightness pups had rallied; they were farmed animals. According
return to their eyes. Their beginning to eat solid food to data collected by the U.S.
scorched paws, now covered and formula no longer Department of Agriculture in
in white sock-like bandages, appealed to them. Their white 2015, less than 1% of cattle
were no longer a constant sock-bandages were now and sheep were lost to all
source of pain. replaced with one layer of soft carnivore predators. The
The mother coyote was gauze. The stench of gasoline majority of livestock deaths
not doing as well. She had was gone and their soft baby- occur due to diseases,
suffered a serious shock. We fur was making a comeback. illness, birthing problems,
and weather.
could never know if she was There were even one or two
shot while trying to save her new whiskers sprouting on • Because coyotes are too
young or if she had nearly lost their tiny muzzles. They also often mistakenly viewed as
her life just because she was a had the advantage of being in a nuisance, the USDA has
coyote and therefore deemed the company of their siblings, implemented programs
under their “Wildlife
worthy of being killed. We and from each other they
Services” division whose
would never know what gained strength, comfort, and
chief purpose is to slaughter
became of the father. hope. I had no doubt that if coyotes and other predators.
With painstaking care, the we wanted the same outcome In 2019, the USDA killed
bullets that lodged in her for their mother we had to more than 60,000 coyotes.
muscles were removed; there let the pups rejoin her as Some 26,000 were killed by
were two hairline fractures of soon as possible. She may be fixed-wing, aerial hunting.
her rear legs and at least one unresponsive to us, but surely The rest were killed by
having her young with her snares, traps, firearms, and
bullet had grazed her scalp,
again would strengthen her other such means.
leaving a deep, long ridge
in her skull. She had massive will to live. • The purpose of den
bruising and fur loss over her Three weeks from the day hunting is to locate and
entire body and her paws were the coyote family had been destroy newly born pups
as a means of “population
raw and bleeding as if she had rescued, it was a fine summer
control.” It is also common
been dragged some distance. day and with the pups
for coyotes to be hunted
Even though we kept their becoming more rambunctious and killed in competitions
carriers next to each other, she it felt like the ideal time
gave no signs she was aware —
—
her pups were alive and safe. Cont’d on page 4 Cont’d on page 4: Coyote
3
Misconceptions Cont’d from page 3: Lynn’s Letter
Cont’d from page 3
to reintroduce them to the
outdoors…and their mother.
The coyote pups were placed
in a carrier filled with fresh hay.
Their mother, making good
physical progress in her healing
remained mentally remote. She
seemed to have abandoned her
senses; her eyes would blink, her
breathing was steady and deep,
but she could not or would not the first to test the limbs and
acknowledge her surroundings topple off the boulder he had
or those of us working to keep so bravely climbed. There were
her alive. Every day I wondered small bits of meat to entice them
across the U.S. where the where she was, what could be to explore their surroundings.
main objective is to kill as
going on in her intelligent mind, In one secluded corner of that
many coyotes and other
how was she managing to stay enclosure was a deep bed of
designated species as
alive? Her amber eyes peered fresh hay sprinkled with alfalfa.
possible for cash prizes. In
these competitions, which out from under her shaved It was toward this that the large
regularly take place across head; her sharply pointed ears female pup made her way,
43 states, it is normal for remained always erect, and deliberate and not bothering
hundreds of animals to be there was something in her to even notice the boulders or
killed in one day. steady gaze that harkened back food or limbs. She had caught
• Coyotes are known as to ages of living as a predator, the scent of her beloved mother
an extremely adaptable surviving hardships and human and knew nothing but that, and
species. Research hatred, of remaining always without hesitating she would go
shows that aggressively alert, always a survivor. I longed to her. It was to that corner of
killing coyotes is for her to be a survivor once the enclosure that her siblings
counterproductive more and to overcome this followed her and where a
as it increases their horrible thing that had been predictable reunion took place.
reproductive rate. done to her and her family. As her pups licked her mouth,
• The only effective The outdoor enclosure was as they whined and wondered
and humane method of why their mother was not licking
solving conflicts is by
only about thirty feet square,
using proven deterrents but there was fragrant seasonal them in return, as their once
such as dogs, llamas, and grass amongst which were bloody but now soft feet pawed
mules as guard animals boulders, thick oak limbs and her damaged face, this was the
which have been shown to two sturdy shelters. When moment she must have longed
reduce predation by 93%. the coyote pups’ carrier was for, waited for, this was the
• Other deterrents positioned in one corner they moment when she came back
include yelling, waving took their time venturing out to life, to join her babies. The
your arms, air horns, and mother coyote slowly raised her
to inspect their new dwelling.
other noisemakers, which
Their paws were cautious as they head and stared forward; her
render an area unsafe in
the eyes of the coyote. tested the grass and sniffed the pups were all over her, jumping
fresh, summer air. One by one, and licking, rolling off her back
with the largest female in the onto the hay. In several minutes
lead, the pup pack emerged her blank stare transformed
from their crate. The little male into the loving eyes of a mother
being the last one out was who has returned from far away,
4returned to care for her young, Glue Trapping is Wrong
to once again protect and
cherish them.
Before our eyes unfolded what
surely takes place every day in
the wild, under less traumatic
circumstances, in the dens
of coyotes, in the woods and
mountains where they dwell—
the coming together of babies
and mothers exactly as Nature
intended.
In the coming weeks the
Pardon our bluntness, but WRR has to continue raising
reunited family healed. They
awareness of the suffering caused by devices known as
were together again; they slept
glue traps. Unfortunately, many people use glue traps
and ate together; there was
to control mice, rats, and roaches while not realizing who
nothing that would separate
else they harm. The photos you see, though graphic
them now and when they were
in nature, will give you a sense
set free it was as a family that
of the suffering experienced
they returned to the wild. They
when an animal ventures in to
had endured a horror no one
a glue trap.
should have to experience;
they had endured it together, Once stuck, animals, like the
drawing strength from each opossum, lizard, bird, and snake
other as wild animals have been pictured here, have no way to
doing for centuries and would free themselves. In their panic,
do again and again as long as they can break toes, wings, and
their lives were uninterrupted legs and lose fur, feathers, and
by humans. flesh. Countless other animals,
will simply languish and die a
slow and painful death. There is simply no reason to use
glue traps. If you know someone who uses these traps
or a store that sells them, ask them to stop.
P.S. The young man who If you find an animal stuck
contacted WRR was changed to one of these terrible devices
by his participation in this act of please call our
violence. When he realized the 24-Hour Emergency Hotline
suffering he caused, he told me (830) 336-2725
later, he had to do something
to make amends. He gave me
the name of the landowner and It is an emergency situation best handled by people
when I told her of the incident with experience. So the sooner the animal is brought
she no longer allowed any to WRR, the better. We were able to save the
hunting on her property. opossum, lizard, bird, and snake, and with your help,
we will continue saving the lives of animals who are
unsuspecting victims of glue traps.
5M AR K YO U R 2 0 21
Calendar!
*Events will be held online
unless otherwise noted. More
information at www.wildlife-
rescue.org/get-involved/
specialevents/
Do What Is Best for Wild Babies
Thousands of native baby wild animals are now being born and it is
vital that you know what TO do and NOT to do during baby season.
February 12–19 If you find a baby bird, squirrel, opossum, rabbit, raccoon or fawn
Formula Drive who you believe needs to be rescued, take a step back and assess
the situation. Many times a rescue can be as simple as leaving him
February 20 or her alone. We have compiled a few helpful tips that will guide you
Drive-Through during wildlife baby season.
Baby Shower Step 1: Don’t panic. Just because you came across a baby wild animal
who appears to be alone doesn’t mean they have been abandoned.
March 4 In fact, their mother is probably nearby seeking food for them. Wild
Amplify Austin animal parents are devoted to their young and will not abandon them
except in extreme circumstances.
April 15 Step 2: Observe the baby from afar so as not to scare off the parents
Story Time with Lynn who are probably still in the area and may return. Depending on the
species, it could take as long as 4-6 hours for the parents to return to
April 16–23 their young, so it is extremely important to be patient.
Enrichment Drive Step 3: While observing the animal, try to see if the baby is in
danger or distress or is hurt or exhibiting any unnatural behavior.
April 26–29 For example, if you see a fawn who is lying on her side and breathing
Ten Thousand Villages heavily or has ants around her, then there is something wrong and she
Fundraiser needs help. If the fawn is sitting or lying normally, do not bother her.
The baby is exactly where her mother wants her to be.
July 20 Step 4: Watch and wait to determine if the mother returns. For
Story Time with Lynn birds and squirrels monitor for two hours. For fawns, we recommend
monitoring for 10-14 hours. If you still have not seen their parents
August 27–September 3 return, contact Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation’s 24-hour emergency
Food Drive hotline at 830-336-2725 and be sure to leave your name and phone
number to ensure a prompt response.
September 23 Over the next few weeks, we encourage you to take a moment to
Big Give educate yourself and your friends on wildlife baby season. To learn
more about the appropriate procedures when helping a baby bird,
October 8–15 squirrel, opossum, rabbit, raccoon or fawn, visit https://wildlife-rescue.
Hay Drive org/handouts.
6Leave a Legacy
to WRR
Leaving a legacy is
like tossing a rock into
a pond. There’s an
initial splash followed
by a ripple effect that
continues once the rock
has vanished beneath the
surface. You might have
a small rock or a large
boulder, but each one of
us can leave something
behind to change the
Successful Transfer of Osprey Patients world for the better.
In August of 2020, Teton Raptor from Jackson to Wildlife Rescue
Center admitted a record and Rehabilitation. The Osprey
number of 6 Osprey patients now enjoy the warm Texas
into its rehabilitation clinic. climate in their natural wintering
Unfortunately, two of those grounds and continue their flight
juvenile Ospreys, OSPR 8.19.20 conditioning in WRR aviaries as
and OSPR 8.25.20, were not they complete their rehabilitative By including Wildlife
able to complete their flight care before return to the wild. Rescue & Rehabilitation in
conditioning in time to be your last wishes, you help
released before migration out of Did You Know?
ensure that we continue
the valley in October. They were Juvenile Osprey often become to care for hundreds of
admitted due to injuries sustained entangled in bailing twine due to thousands of wild lives
from bailing twine entanglement it being picked up by the adults over the years to come. In
and a predator attack respectively. and used in their nests. One doing this, you know that
Osprey have a unique life history way to help protect Osprey is to your last contributions
where the juveniles skip their first properly dispose of bailing twine! support everything your
migration back to their summer earlier contributions
grounds, meaning they wouldn’t helped build. We invite
naturally return to Jackson Hole you to join in this way
until spring of 2022. So TRC set of expressing your
out to find a solution that would commitment to WRR’s
limit time in captivity but still work of protecting wild
give the birds their best chance of animals, the environment,
release back into the wild! and the world we share.
TRC was lucky to find an efficient To learn more about
and safe solution for the Ospreys wills and planned
with aerial support provided More information: giving, please contact
by their partner LightHawk www.lighthawk.org Jessica Neidhart, Donor
and Jack, one of their volunteer www.tetonraptorcenter.org Engagement Manager,
pilots. With Jack’s generosity (830) 336-2725 ext. 314
and aerial expertise, the birds Note: Osprey images are stock
photos, not those of the rescued
JNeidhart@Wildlife-
were able to have a direct flight Osprey in this article. Rescue.org.
7NONPROFIT ORG
PO Box 369, Kendalia, TX 78027 U.S. POSTAGE
wildlife-rescue.org | info@wildlife-rescue.org
P. (830) 336-2725 | F. (830) 336-3733
PAID
PERMIT NO. 525
Tax ID 74-2012897 SAN ANTONIO, TX
Address Service Requested
Matching Gift! David Weyman a longtime, dedicated supporter
of Wildlife Rescue, is matching donations for our
You can help Formula Drive. He will match all donations up to
WRR feed wild $12,500 from Friday, February 12 through Friday,
baby animals February 19. All contributions will go directly to
during this year’s purchasing formula for orphaned baby animals.
Formula Drive! $25,000 is enough to buy formula for the full year!You can also read
