This is Kady, my wild coyote friend, who I noticed in Griffith Park, a wilderness area in Los Angeles where I hike. He had an injured leg and an infected wound on the opposite hip. In addition, he had mange-thus referred to as a 'bald' coyote. Kady couldn't hunt, scavenged garbage, and ate poisoned ground squirrels, which undoubtedly caused the mange.
I fed Kady 1.5 lb. of hamburger and dry dog food for a couple of weeks and provided plenty of water. Kady gained weight; his eyes were more open.
When I arrive at the park, I call Kady telepathically. He knows my car and our secret meeting place. He comes within 5' of me. Every day, Kady appeared with a friend, a sort of guide and protector who never ate the food I had left for Kady. He allowed Kady to eat before escorting him back up the mountainside.
However, feeding him wouldn't help him in the long run. After researching online, sending e-mails to wildlife organizations, and phone calls to wildlife centers, sanctuaries, and the City's wildlife division, I found Mary, a local, independent rehabilitator and president of Animal Advocates.
Mary sets the trap, and we wait for Kady to come. We try different food, place the trap in different locations, camouflage it with twigs and shrubs, use various size traps...trying to outsmart a coyote. But Kady is one smart boy. He gets close and eats around the safe trap but will not enter.
I continue telepathic communication, coaxing Kady into the trap, reassurring him that no one will harm him if he wants help. But he's not going for that one, either, and continues to avoid the trap's entrance.
Sadly, we couldn't help Kady. Someone reported me for feeding the coyote; the City's wildlife department, Fish and Game, ordered me to stop the food or face a $1,000 fine and 6 months in jail. Regular bystanders frequenting the park kept their eyes on me. The City insisted Mary cease until she purchased insurance and a license, which was costly and could take several weeks.
The City set traps, didn't monitor them, and caught a squirrel who died in a panic trying to escape. I informed them to check the traps every few hours. I returned to the park to check the traps. The City never caught Kady, and I never saw the injured coyote again.
We try to help, but sadly sometimes our hands become tied, animal communication isn't taken seriously, and there's not much one can do.
I did, however, break through the barricade where the poison for the squirrels was kept and threw it away. Why was the City poisoning squirrels? To prevent the spread of the Plague, they said. I had no idea what Plague they were referring to, but their cruel attempt to poison their target animal also poisons all the wildlife that eats the carcasses.
