9 Orphaned Coyotes Returned To Wild In San Diego County

RAMONA, CA — Nine orphaned coyotes are back in the wild after being raised at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center.

The organization's Project Wildlife staff released the coyotes Monday on the Eagle Peak Preserve near Julian, in collaboration with the San Diego River Park Foundation.

The coyotes are about 6 months old. They all arrived at Ramona Wildlife Center at different times between March and May, when they were approximately 4-6 weeks old.

Three of the coyotes were discovered in March under the deck of a home in Pacific Beach. Two coyote pups were purchased in April on Offer-Up by a community member in Riverside County. One coyote arrived in May from Jurupa Valley, while the other three pups came from Beverly Hills, El Cajon and Valley Center.

"San Diego Humane Society's Project Wildlife staff bottle-fed these vulnerable pups at first, when they were too young to eat on their own," Humane Society spokesperson Nina Thompson said in a news release. "As soon as the coyotes were ready, the Project Wildlife team placed them together in an outside habitat and monitored them from a distance to avoid human imprinting."

Since there are limited rehabilitation centers that accept orphaned coyotes in Southern California, the Ramona Wildlife Center works closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and other rehabilitators throughout the state to find the best pack match for the coyote pups.

San Diego Humane Society's Project Wildlife program is the primary resource for wild animal rehabilitation and conservation education in San Diego County. Each year, the organization gives more than 10,000 injured, orphaned, and sick wild animals a second chance. The Ramona campus specializes in caring for native apex predators and birds of prey, including bears, bobcats, coyotes, eagles, hawks, mountain lions and owls.

Also see:

• 4 Coyote Pups Found Under Deck In San Diego
• Coyote Rescued From San Diego Flood Returned To Wild