Last week, a WILD Florida Rescue (WFR) dispatcher fielded a distressing call for help. A local homeowner had discovered a poor wild animal trapped in a fence, dangling upside down by one foot.
The man wasn’t sure how long the coyote had been stuck there, but he was relieved to find that the animal was breathing and alert. Still, time was running out to save him, and the folks at WFR responded with the same sense of urgency.
At the time of the call, all of WFR’s rescuers were busy helping other animals, so the dispatcher made another desperate call for backup. She contacted the local sheriff’s department, which acted swiftly.
“Two Deputy Sheriffs were able to respond, one with extensive animal care knowledge,” WFR wrote on Facebook.
The deputy sheriffs worked carefully, but quickly, as they cut through the fencing wire wrapped around the coyote’s foot. Minutes later, the coyote was freed, and his rescuers began checking him for injuries.
To their relief, the coyote didn’t seem to have any fractures or serious injuries, and he soon ran off to his intended destination.
This might have been a new experience for the coyote, but it isn’t the first time fences have endangered wildlife. Like in this case from a couple of years ago, when a rambunctious fox found himself trapped in a wooden fence.