30 Seconds of Joyous Coyote Mischief

Animal Story, Blog, Coyotes | March 16, 2011

It was cold. Very cold. It was predicted to be 20 degrees below zero. Here that usually means 30 below. Pimpernel, that excellent coyote, is pretty tough but this year she started shedding fur on the back half of her body just as winter started in. Very poor timing! It started at her tail, then moved to her hindquarters and across her back. Perhaps it was related to the genetics thatblocked her esophagus when she was a baby. That was a timing thing too.

In any case, although she has her own private box on an elevated platform facing the sun, 30 below made us worry so we decided to bring her in until the cold snap eased. But the logistics  were complex. We only have three usable heated spaces for the winter – the 14’ x 20’ log cabin that serves as our office with work stations for four people plus storage and a squirrel; our 18’ x 30’ living cabin, and the animal kitchen which is full except for a narrow passageway through to the bears and wolves. We couldn’t put her in the animal kitchen because that was taken by Banty the rooster, still recuperating from his stroke. Coyotes and chickens don’t mix. Well, actually Pimpernel probably wouldn’t agree but Banty would not have had a stress-free recuperation with a coyote banging about in her cage trying to get at him. We couldn’t bring her into our living cabin because besides two dogs, Cucumber the House Wolf considers that her personal palace. Cucumber isn’t into sharing with dogs or coyotes or anything else and we tend to indulge her after her two near-death experiences. So we pushed things around in the office; locked Tuttle the squirrel in the bathroom and brought her in. We didn’t think about the plants, soon to be in shock.

It is not easy or exactly peaceful to have a vibrant lively ball of wild energy in a place of work. We had her in a cage big enough for a moose but that didn’t matter – she wanted to explore all those interesting sights and smells and demanded to be let out out out out out and she wasn’t going to rest until we let her out out out out out. She was having none of this cage stuff.  She didn’t want to hear how lucky she was compared to the other coyotes who had to stay out in the cold (though plumply well padded); she wanted what she wanted and she wanted it NOW with full coyote energy. Knowing better, we still gave in before the force of her demands and let her out for an office exploration, hoping that once she had a chance to explore she would settle down. The cage was roomy and lined with fresh hay, there were coyote toys and she would have been among human company which she really enjoys.

In a flash she was out, racing about the floor sniffing and pulling at anything that could be pulled, snuffling and scratching at the base of the bathroom door where Tuttle was housed; then the next level- paws on desk rifling through papers and folders; then the next tier, up on the desk sending papers flying. Then she noticed the poor plants. By the time  we got there (two seconds) the kalanchoe was on it side minus several leaves, stems and flowers with tooth marks on the rest of the leaves, and being pulled out of its pot, soil spraying in all directions. Next would have been the fourth tier- the tops of bookshelves. It was a coyote orgy of whirling dervish energy and possession (everything was MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE) so there was no way to take it from her without a confrontation. We foolishly hadn’t laid in a supply of special treats. Jean quickly went to get some and we tried to prevent more damage until he returned. Fortunately the same “I want what I want and I want it now” works with treats, and catching her attention by waving them in front of her racing nose, Jean threw them to the back of the cage and sanity was restored. We started the clean up and repotting and apologized to the plant, but she still wanted out out out out out. So we came to a compromise – she would go out during the warmer daytime office hours, and each evening she would come in again. This meant a lot of transportation issues solved with a lot of treats but it was worth the peace.  She was generally pleased all around as she won either way.

PS – if you look at the words in capitals; MINE and NOW, you get a good glimpse of part of coyote character. At least Pimpernel’s. However, just to set the record straight, she is also unbelievably sweet and affectionate, and strikes many blows for coyote awareness and appreciation by humans.

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