Wild Coyote Rescued In Atlanta Finds A Special New Friend At Sanctuary
One seemingly ordinary day, Brandon received a call that would kick off a heartwarming journey for a very special animal.
Brandon, who stands behind Sanders Wildlife – an Atlanta-based wildlife rescue and education service – was contacted by residents in a local neighborhood about a wild coyote spotted in the area.
The coyote, later named Carmine, had been seen hopping into yards and playfully interacting with people’s dogs.
While he wasn’t aggressive and seemed more curious than anything, his unexpected visits stirred up concern among the community.
Unsure of what to do but wanting a humane solution, the neighbors reached out to Brandon, confident he could safely capture Carmine and find him a place where he could truly thrive.
The Georgia DNR (Department of Natural Resources) gave Brandon the green light to safely capture Carmine and relocate him to a sanctuary where he could start a new life.
Brandon and his team set up a humane live trap designed to capture – not harm – the coyote.
But catching Carmine was easier said than done. Every time he approached the trap, he seemed to sense something was up and would back off like, “Nope, not today!”
Still, persistence paid off. After some time, Brandon and his team finally succeeded, and Carmine was on his way to a safe new home.
Brandon brought Carmine to the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary, where the coyote received all his vaccinations and began settling into his new environment.
At first, Brandon was genuinely surprised by Carmine’s behavior. In an interview, he shared:
“I was surprised to see his reaction that he wasn’t necessarily being aggressive, or freaking out of the cage. His fear of humans wasn’t there, which is usually what gets most animals into trouble.”
It didn’t take long for Carmine to feel right at home at the sanctuary, officially putting an end to his days of roaming through neighborhoods.
And Then He Met A Friend
Carmine soon discovered he wasn’t the only coyote at the sanctuary – another one named Wilee was already there.
Wilee had been illegally raised by humans and arrived at Yellow River as one of the friendliest coyotes the staff had ever met.
She was playful and eager to make friends with just about everyone. So, Brandon and his team had an idea: Why not introduce Carmine to Wilee?
Both coyotes were social and gentle, and all signs pointed to the possibility of a perfect friendship.
Introducing new animals is always a delicate process, especially with sensitive species like coyotes. A rushed introduction could lead to stress, fear, or even aggression.
Brandon knew he couldn’t just throw the two coyotes together and hope it worked out. Their introduction needed to be slow and carefully managed. As he explained:
“We couldn’t just introduce these two all at once. It had to be a slow process of bringing the two together, putting them in separate holding areas that were right beside each other.”
At first, Carmine was a little unsure about his new potential friend and kept his guard up during their early interactions. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for him to warm up.
Before long, Carmine let his guard down, and his playful personality started to shine.
That’s when the staff opened the gate between the two enclosures – and Wilee and Carmine finally met (with lots of curious sniffing, of course).
It was clear right away that they clicked. Everyone watching could tell these two were going to be best friends.
All that was left was to move them into a larger enclosure, where they’d have plenty of space to roam, explore, and enjoy life – together.
Today, Carmine and Wilee are living their best lives at the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary.
They spend their days playing together and happily greeting their human visitors, always staying friendly and gentle with everyone they meet.
Stories like theirs are a powerful reminder of how meaningful friendship can be. Maybe it’s your sign to send a message to a friend and let them know how thankful you are to have them in your life.
