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Cape Coral fire crews rescue coyote from canal
A kayaker helped Cape Coral first responders rescue an exhausted coyote pup from a Southwest Florida canal after it was mistakenly reported as a stranded dog.
CAPE CORAL, Fla. - A coyote in Southwest Florida is back on dry land after being rescued from a canal on Monday morning.
Cape Coral canal rescue
What we know:
First responders with Cape Coral Fire Rescue responded to a report of a dog in a canal on Britannia Lake.
It swam from shore to shore as firefighters tried to rescue it.
Denae Judd offered to help from her kayak.
She monitored its location and let the crew know it had crawled up under a dock.
Firefighters entered the water and pulled what turned out to be a coyote pup from the space.
A Cape Coral first responder carefully lifts a wet coyote pup out of a Southwest Florida canal during a water rescue on Monday morning. Image is courtesy of Cape Coral Fire Rescue.
Wildlife rehabilitation efforts
Dig deeper:
Crews said the animal was exhausted and unable to be released.
They took it to East West Veterinary Care Center, which will coordinate moving it to CROW - Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. for rehabilitation.
Southwest Florida animal care
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the current medical condition of the pup or how long its recovery will take. It is also unknown how the young coyote initially ended up trapped inside the canal.
Community recognition award
What they're saying:
Cape Coral Fire Rescue praised the joint operation in a social media post, stating, "This save was a great team effort!" The department also presented Judd with a Community Recognition coin to honor her vital assistance during the water rescue.
The Source: This article was written with information from Cape Coral Fire Rescue, which detailed the events and explained where the coyote was taken after being rescued.