A rare black coyote was spotted in rural-Austin this past week, captured on camera following a three-month search. The efforts to have the shy animal caught on camera at its usual Texas Hill Country haunt were made by Austin Animal Center wildlife officers. Their painstaking work finally paid off with the images they shared on social media this week.
The Austin Animal Center posted pictures of the black coyote to their Facebook page on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, showing how handsome and peaceful it was, as it hung out in the area around Austin it’s known to frequent. The rare animal was first spotted and reported months ago, however, wildlife officers had to set up cameras in their attempts to try and find it.
Photo: Facebook/Austin Animal Center
The post of the black coyote showed some beautiful images, as the animal was seen hanging out with additional coyotes, all of which had standard colorings. In an effort to leave the animal be, the Austin Animal Center refrained from identifying where it was located. They explained that it’s their belief the animal’s black fur is derived from a hybridization with domestic dogs. Aside from that, there are no additional details that might explain why its color has stood out from the pack.
Photo: Facebook/Austin Animal Center
“Our Wildlife Officers will continue to monitor this guy’s activity, but are treating him as a regular coyote (we just really love to see his gorgeous face!). Remember– as beautiful as he is, if you see a coyote during the day, remember to haze it! It’s important for them to learn that coming out during the day is scary, and they should stick to hunting at night. We can share space with coyotes, but not time!” the Austin Animal Center’s Facebook post noted. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “The Coyote is an extremely intelligent animal with keen senses of hearing, sight and smell. It primarily is nocturnal and very opportunistic. Coyotes will eat just about anything. They feed primarily on rabbits, rodents and insects, but they also eat carrion, lizards, snakes, fruit, vegetable matter and even fish.”
