‘Beloved’ coyote dies years after he’s given second chance at NC nature center
A “beloved” coyote that got a second chance in the North Carolina mountains has died, officials said.
Barney the coyote spent 15 years greeting guests at Western North Carolina Nature Center, becoming one of its most “well-known and cherished residents,” the city of Asheville said last week.
“Barney was very popular with guests and staff alike for over a decade and a half and will be missed by all,” Chris Gentile, director of the nature center, said in a news release. “As a lifelong resident of the Nature Center, tens of thousands of visitors had the opportunity to get to know him and to learn more about coyotes.”
Barney’s journey to the nature center started when he was found orphaned nearby in 2006. He was raised at the wildlife center since he was a pup but developed health problems in the last few months, officials said.
The coyote hadn’t been “responding to medical treatment” and died on Thursday, according to the nature center.
“We will miss him dearly,” the facility wrote over the weekend in a Facebook post.
The city of Asheville, a tourist spot in the mountains, runs the 42-acre nature center. The site is home to dozens of animals that are found in the region and said it aims to educate people about local wildlife.
In the wild, coyotes can live 13 years or longer and weigh up to 70 pounds. Their “habitat can range from agricultural fields to forests, to suburban and urban environments,” the N.C. Wildlife Resources commission said on its website.
Due to predators, disease and other factors, officials said only about one-third of baby coyotes live to be adults.
If you see a pup alone, it might be OK if it’s almost weaned from its mom, the University of Illinois Extension said on its website. Officials recommend avoiding human interaction and calling a wildlife expert to make sure the animal’s parents aren’t nearby.
This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 3:50 PM with the headline "‘Beloved’ coyote dies years after he’s given second chance at NC nature center."
