“As long as she doesn’t give up, I will keep fighting with her … “
A woman was recently out walking her dog in Louisiana when she stumbled upon an animal who needed her help. Lying down next to the path, there was a sick-looking coyote covered in mosquitoes.
Geaux Wild Rehab
The Good Samaritan drove the coyote an hour and a half to Geaux Wild Rehab so she could get the help she desperately needed.
“She couldn’t pick her head up,” Tisha Raiford, director of Geaux Wild Rehab, told The Dodo. “She was very weak, very lifeless.”
Raiford worked with a vet to get the coyote parasite treatments, vital nutrients and medical exams. Even after extensive bloodwork, X-rays and other tests, they couldn’t tell exactly what was bothering her.
Geaux Wild Rehab
Even though the coyote’s condition was still a mystery, Raiford couldn’t bear seeing her so weak. She named her Zelda and resolved to do everything she could to help her recover.
Every single day, Raiford worked with Zelda to get her back on her feet. She fed her a nutrient-rich diet and did physical therapy exercises as well as cold laser therapy to stimulate her weakened muscles.
“She had a will to live and she didn’t give up,” Raiford said. “That was what I kept [saying], ‘As long as she doesn’t give up, I will keep fighting with her and for her.’”
For weeks, Zelda barely moved. Raiford tried to stay hopeful, but wasn’t sure whether Zelda would ever recover.
Then, about three weeks after Zelda arrived at the rehabilitation center, Raiford started noticing her pushing herself up with her legs. She was trying to stand.
A few days later, a miracle happened: Zelda stood up and started walking.
Every day, Zelda was able to walk a little farther, stand up a little longer. Before long, she was getting antsy, pacing around her enclosure. That’s how Raiford knew she was ready to go. Eight weeks after her intake, Raiford decided it was time to set her free.
Before releasing her, Raiford allowed researchers from The Canid Project to put a comfortable, non-invasive collar on Zelda for a coyote tracking research project. As an added bonus, Raiford will get to keep track of Zelda as she roams her natural environment.
Raiford invited the woman who first saved Zelda as well as Zelda’s vet to be there for her release as they’d been instrumental to her survival and recovery. It was an incredibly emotional day for all of them, especially Raiford. As she opened Zelda’s kennel, she remembered the journey she’d taken with this strong-willed coyote.
“I felt tears swelling up in my eyes because I was looking straight at her,” Raiford said. “And you could just see that determination in her eyes.”
Geaux Wild Rehab
As soon as Zelda stepped back out into nature, she knew just what to do.
“You could just tell she knew where she was,” Raiford said. “She was back home. And then when she flew out of that kennel, she jumped into the water and swam and took off running … It was perfect.”
To support other animals like Zelda, you can make a donation to Geaux Wild Rehab here or order something from their Amazon wishlist here.
