Rescued coyote back in wild

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. — A young male coyote that was picked up freeloading in Papillion is back in the wild.

The coyote was released this afternoon in rural Cass County by officials of Nebraska Wildlife Rehab. It had cared for the animal at a facility in Fort Calhoun, Neb., for more than a month.

The coyote should easily return to life in the countryside because there is a healthy population of coyotes in the area where it was released, said Laura Stastny of Omaha-based Nebraska Wildlife Rehab.

The was living off dog and cat food in Papillion neighborhoods when it was captured by the Nebraska Humane Society. It also suffered from a modest case of mange, a disease caused by mites that may cause an animal's fur to fall out. Mange is typical for coyotes in areas with limited food resources, Stastny said.

Caretakers reintroduced the coyote to a natural diet of rabbits, rats, mice and deer parts. The animal's coat has since filled out.

Stastny said no one knows why the coyote moved into Papillion or where it came from, but some suspect it came from the Plattsmouth area southeast of Papllion because coyotes with mange are known to live there.

“It may have been kicked out of a pack, or maybe it came from a small pack and all the others were killed. It's hard to tell,'' Stastny said.

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