Many a story about wild escapades begins with the headline "Florida Man," but this one is a little different; it's the lesser-known category of "Florida coyote."
An intrepid little critter pulled off a quite miraculous escape from certain death in Southwest Florida when it was hit by a car. Rather than becoming another sorry statistic of roadkill in the Sunshine State, the coyote was instead trapped in the front bumper of the vehicle.
As Need to Know reported, it somehow survived and is expected to make a full recovery. The Sheriff's Office also posted some photos from the rescue on Facebook.
Emergency responders from the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office and staff from the Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida Rescue and Transport arrived at the scene to free the coyote, which was nicknamed Wile E. after the cartoon character.
With tongue firmly in cheek, the sheriff's office confirmed no roadrunners were present at the scene (the nearest are two states over anyway. Pamela DeFouw, executive director at the Wildlife Center, told Fox 13 News the creature was "super lucky" to have survived and that staff are hopeful he will be able to go outside in six to eight weeks.
Unfortunately, most stories of animals and vehicles don't have such a happy ending. Around a million vertebrates are struck by cars in the U.S. every day, per the Federal Highway Administration. Florida's endangered panther population is threatened even further by vehicles. Defenders of Wildlife notes that dozens of panthers fall victim to roadkill every year.
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One of the most straightforward solutions is investing in infrastructure to make safe highway crossings for wildlife. The Smithsonian reported that two such tunnels in Vermont have already saved thousands of amphibians from certain death.
The coyote's fortunate escape highlights the crucial work of local conservation groups and the importance of supporting those efforts. Thanks to the staff at the rescue center, it will hopefully soon return to the wild.
The Wildlife Center's social media post about the incident attracted a handful of supportive comments.
One said, "He's in excellent hands now!"
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Another expressed gratitude, saying, "Thank you all for everything you do and saving this coyote. He is very lucky and blessed."
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