Coyote Pup Freed After Head Stuck in Plastic Container

A baby coyote found itself in a sticky situation after getting its head stuck inside a plastic container.

The unfortunate pup was found with the container on its head in Massachusetts, whereupon animal control was called to help the little coyote free itself after several days of struggle.

"This coyote pup was seen desperately trying to get a plastic container off his head for two days...," Chelmsford-based Newhouse Wildlife Rescue, a wildlife rehabilitation center, captioned a Facebook post containing pictures of the pup's rescue on Wednesday.

"Yesterday Billerica & Tewksbury Animal Control were called. It was clear this pup was going to need some immediate help. Animal control called us in along with Environmental Police Officer Taylor. With all of us working together, we were able to find him, capture him and remove the container from his head," they wrote.

Coyotes are a close relative of the wolf, but are smaller than their cousins, weighing between around 15 to 40 pounds. They are found across most of North America, and are social animals, living in packs and hunting in groups. Coyotes usually eat a mostly carnivorous diet, ranging from bison and deer to rabbits, rodents, birds, fish, reptiles, and even amphibians.

This young coyote was a bit worse for wear after its ordeal, Newhouse Wildlife Rescue explained in the post.

"The young pup was clearly in shock. His gums were pale. He was a bit disoriented and dehydrated so we brought him back to the rescue for care."

Luckily, the pup's parents were still in the area, so Newhouse Wildlife Rescue planned to deliver him back to his family.

"This morning he is feeling much better. The finder told us the pup's parents are still around and where to find them, so he will be reunited with his family today," they said in the post.

Coyote pups are born in dens in the springtime, and stay with their families until around August after learning to hunt with the adults, but may stay longer.

"It took a village, but this guy's life was saved because of it," the post said.

Coyotes are often unpopular across the U.S., due to their reputation as livestock killers and dangerous predators of both pets and humans.

They often prey upon livestock, and according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, were the cause of 60.5 percent of the 224,000 sheep predation deaths in 2004. Attacks on humans are rare, with data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife showing that 41 attacks were recorded from 1988 to 1997, with a further 48 attacks occurring between 1998 and 2003.

Only two deaths from a coyote attack have ever been confirmed: a three-year-old in Glendale, California in 1981, and a nineteen-year-old in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2009.

"Coyotes are not normally a danger to people," the U.S. National Park Service previously told Newsweek, "unless they become habituated to their presence and food. If you see a coyote, try and remain at least 25 yards away when watching or photographing them. If you regularly see coyotes near developed areas or approaching people, tell a ranger. It's a good idea to keep your dog on a leash when it's outside a vehicle in the national parks and woodlands."

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