Cord left Cape Cod coyote unable to move. Wildlife vets have questions
A Cape Cod coyote is showing signs of recovery after rescuers found a cord wound tightly around its neck, leaving the animal temporarily unable to move his legs and raising fears of a serious spinal injury. The eastern coyote was brought to the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable around midday on Nov. 9 after staff from the Yarmouth Division of Natural Resources rescued him. According to the department, a resident had noticed the animal in distress and reported it. "When he came in, he could not move any of his limbs at all," said Dr. Priya Patel, a veterinarian at Cape Wildlife Center . "He basically was just lying on the ground. He was aware. His eyes were moving, but he could barely lift his head." Wildlife vets initially feared coyote had suffered spinal damage Patel said the veterinary team immediately feared the animal had suffered spinal trauma. The cord was so tightly wrapped around his neck that it could not be seen under the fur, and it was "constricting so much of the soft tissue," she said. While spinal damage was the first concern, the team noted extensive swelling around the coyote's neck and hoped some of the neurological
