This Family Has A Pet Coyote And They Picked The Perfect Name For Him
Coyotes are wild animals, but they are part of the canine family, which makes them related to wolves and domesticated dogs. Still, this adaptable predator can be found in 49 of the United States and across most of Central America and North America.
For the most part, coyotes are wild animals with natural instincts, and they cannot be domesticated. However, sometimes when humans care for coyotes from a very young age, something unexpected can happen!
That seems to be the case for this Wisconsin family living on the Hanestad farm in 2011. Rick, a lifelong hunter, took in a coyote pup in dire need, with no way of knowing how his life and his family's life would transform with this incredible animal.
Rick and his kids nursed the coyote pup back to health and figured that in a few months' time, they'd have to release him into the wild or, worse, put him down.
Instead, they ended up with a totally unexpected pet.
The Hanestad family had to pay a fee to license the wild animal and build him a specific enclosure, but they got to keep him!
And they fell in love with him.
They named him Wiley Coyote, and he became particularly close with Rick's daughter, Hailey Hanestad.
Wiley has never shown aggression toward the family's dog or any of the humans, least of all Hailey.
Rick Dr. Lawrence Cohen, child psychologist said:
"He is such a sweet animal. I trust him absolutely with my 8-year-old daughter. He is best friends with our dog."
Hailey and Wiley have a relationship just like that of any young child and her beloved dog.
They play, snuggle, and live life side by side.
Rick told Madison.com:
"When the warden and the state wildlife biologist came to visit him, Wiley fell onto his back, and the biologist scratched his belly. The biologist stated, 'He’s just like a dog.' That, to me, was worth its weight in gold because, on the spot, I changed his opinion of coyotes."
Wiley is a spoiled pup, too. He mostly eats venison and fried eggs. Surprisingly, he decided to decline raw meat a long time ago. He prefers his venison cooked, like any other civilized coyote.
Actually, speaking of 'civilized' coyotes, Wiley is one of only two coyotes to become domesticated after being born in the wild in the United States.
Rick takes Wiley for regular walks, making sure he gets a good 'taste' of the outdoors.
The Hanestad family custom-built Wiley an enclosure because they were required to, but they exceeded expectations and made sure Wiley had the perfect coyote enclosure, including a burrowing hole!
Yep, coyotes may not have the best reputation in the United States, but Wiley Coyote and his best friend Hailey Hanestad are breaking barriers every day!
Check out this cute video from when the dynamic duo was much younger!
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