An orphaned coyote pup that was found earlier this year in Valley Center was rehomed earlier this month at a Virginia-based facility to serve as an ambassador for her species, San Diego Humane Society officials said.
Val, a 5-month-old female coyote, was found alone along a creek on Feb. 13 by a community member, organization officials said. Hoping that the pup’s mom would return, the resident left the animal in place overnight.
However, when the community member returned the next day, the pup was still there, and she was brought to the Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center, where she became known as the Valentine’s Day coyote, or Val for short.
The organization’s specialized veterinarians at the center — which is one of the few facilities licensed in the state to rehabilitate and release native apex predators — took over the care of the animal and learned it was born in late December, which is outside the typical breeding season of January through March.
The experts at the center fed and treated the animal in a way to prevent habituation or familiarity with humans, using coyote disguises and natural scents when in close proximity with her, officials said.
“We did everything we could to give this pup a chance to remain wild,” said Autumn Welch, wildlife operations manager at the center. “We even revisited the site where she came from with the finder to look for evidence of a den or siblings, but found nothing.”
But after a week of working with the animal, and in consultation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, it was determined that the pup would not be able to survive on her own in the wild.
The decision was made to transfer the pup to Robins Nature Center in Maymont, Va., where Val will serve as an ambassador. Animal ambassadors are animals that live long-term, or sometimes permanently, in captivity and teach people who visit them about good stewardship and wild animals.
“Val will play an important role in helping people better understand coyotes and how to peacefully coexist with wildlife,” said Welch. “While we always strive to return animals to the wild, in cases like this, providing a high-quality permanent home is the best possible outcome.”
On April 8, Val was flown to her new East Coast home and introduced to another coyote named Bernie, officials said. The two will eventually live together on the Virginia Wildlife Trail, a mile-long educational trail featuring habitats for about a dozen different native species of rescued and rehabilitated wildlife.