The beautiful fur coat of a
healthy wild Coyote.
Yes, this is what they should look like. But from time to time when I give my presentations, a community member will say to me, “Are the photos you show of coyotes, wild coyotes? Their coats look so beautiful.” Then they will continue by saying that they have seen coyotes that look very “mangy” instead.
And my answer to them is, “Yes, the photos I share with you are of healthy wild coyotes. What you are seeing is a Coyote that is suffering from Sarcoptic Mange, a life threatening and litterly agonizing affliction caused by parasitic mites called Sarcoptes scabiei.
These parasites will enter their skin, devouring cells and drinking the fluid of their fur follicles. They cause the Coyote’s skin to turn grey-blue, along with the misery of intense itchy that prevents from sleeping and hunting. The coyotes will scratch themselves raw and often this will cause blood poisoning. In time, they will loose ALL their fur. They are in a state of continual misery, often starving to death because they are unable to hunt, and in the Winter, with all their fur gone…they will freeze to death. See photo below for what they look like as the parasites invades their body.
HOWEVER, wildlife have great immunes systems, and adults can fight off these parasites. But when their immune systems are suppressed, they will succumb to the parasites. We are seeing increased numbers of wild carnivores like Coyotes, wolves, bobcats and cougars succumbing to mange. WHY? We have to look at ourselves again……
My fellow scientists have found that the use of rodent poisons is suppressing the immune systems of these important carnivores, and creating immense misery and death in them. Rodent poisons like De-con kill rodents by causing them to slowly bleed to death internally. So they don’t die right away. Instead, they leave your house where you have the poison, and slowly die out in nature…….where a carnivore like Coyote will eat them……slowly amassing the poisons in their own bodies. And these poisons suppress their immune systems.
ALL LIFE IS ONE……WE CANNOT BE POISONING ONE SPECIES, AND NOT HAVE IT AFFECT OTHERS…INCLUDING OURSELVES.
Never use poisons …..on any wildlife……on your grass….on your flowers…..
photo by John Maguranis
