Coyote mistaken for German shepherd is released with companion rescued in Rhode Island
The coyote pup was so young when she was rescued from the side of the road in Smithfield last spring she had to be fed by bottle and her eyes were just starting to open.
Wildlife rehabilitators later paired her with a male coyote initially mistaken for a German shepherd when he was rescued in Massachusetts.
The coyotes became inseparable friends and were released back into the wild together on Wednesday.
"While some coyotes may choose to part ways after release, something tells us these two may be bonded for life," the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, Massachusetts, said in a Facebook post Wednesday.
The Rhode Island coyote initially received care at the Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island then was transferred to the rehabilitation center on Cape Cod so the pair could be raised together to encourage their wild instincts.
"The two became friends very quickly (and) have been inseparable ever since. Because they had each other as companions they have remained wild and (wary) of humans," the Cape organization said. "Releasing them as a unit will hopefully increase their survival rate in the wild."
Read more: Orphaned coyote pup mistaken for dog becomes foster brother of rescued RI pup
The post did not say where they were released.
The post provided more information on the Massachusetts coyote, whose rescue attracted "national attention," the Cape center said.
"After 6 long months of rehab, this pup has made incredible strides. He is wild by all accounts and is exhibiting all of the correct behaviors and skills," the post said. "Weighing in at just over 40 pounds, he has a healthy appetite and has been increasingly active in the large outdoor enclosure."
Bird tales: Wildlife clinic returns bald eagle to the wild, rescues entangled owl from tree
A Massachusetts family found the coyote "wandering and distressed by the side of a busy road" and took him home before realizing he wasn't a German shepherd.
The Rhode Island coyote pup was found on the side of a busy road in Smithfield in late April and brought to the Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island.
"My assumption is something happened with mom and this little girl got dropped," Kristin Fletcher, executive director of the Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island, said in April.
Rhode Island rescuers later transferred the pup to the Cape Cod agency, and the two were brought together gradually.
Walking RI: Discover a hidden gem of forest, ponds and wetlands in Little Compton
"It was a little slow at first, but once they felt each other out they quickly began to bond," Cape Wildlife said in a previous Facebook post. "Before long they were wrestling and playing with each other, which is crucial to their normal development."
Rescuers took a little extra time to introduce the pair because the female rescued in Rhode Island is about two weeks younger and was smaller than the male.
jperry@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7614
On Twitter: @jgregoryperry
Be the first to know.
Sign up for our breaking news alerts
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Coyote mistaken for dog released with companion rescued in RI
