What To Do If You Find A Baby Coyote In Your Yard

If you live in an area with lots of coyotes, you might spot a pup in your yard every now and again. Coyote families often travel together, so seeing two parents trailed by a group of babies isn't unusual. But if you look out your window and see a pup (or two) alone, with no other coyotes in sight, what should you do?

It's actually common for coyote pups to be left alone in the wild, typically while their parents are away hunting for food. The pup will be perfectly fine without any human intervention; in fact, unnecessarily taking young wildlife to an animal rehabilitation facility will significantly lower its chance of survival. You should never approach a baby coyote, touch it, or feed it under any circumstances. In order to survive in the wild, coyotes need to remain afraid of humans, rather than acclimate to them — this is why it's important to keep your distance. Approaching a sickly coyote pup is also a risk to your personal safety.  

Keep your pets out of your yard while the baby coyote is visiting. If your yard has any entrance points that the parents may have used when dropping off their pup — such as a garden gate — be sure to keep these open. This means that the parents can access the area when they return, and the pup can leave in order to find them. Continue to monitor the situation from afar; if things go wrong, you'll need to call professionals for help.

Much like helping a baby skunk or opossum you found in your yard, there are a few situations where a coyote pup may need assistance. If the pup appears to be injured or sickly, immediately notify a licensed wildlife rescue or rehabilitation center. Someone from one of these organizations will be able to give you further instructions, and they may take the baby coyote to a facility where it can be treated. Symptoms to watch for include a clear physical injury, weight loss, cracked skin, and loss of fur. Additionally, if you're absolutely confident that both of the pup's parents have died, then you should alert authorities right away.

It is extremely rare that a coyote pup will be permanently stranded by its parents; however, many coyotes will leave their babies alone for weeks at a time while they search for food. Even if you're concerned that the pup has been left behind by its family, you should never approach it. Instead, wait for at least a few days to see if the parents return, then contact local authorities to determine what to do from there. You might be instructed to keep waiting, or a wildlife rescue center may come by to take the pup into their care. And lastly, if you find that yard is housing lots of unwanted stray wildlife, it might be time to learn about humane pest control.