Tippy the western coyote was born in the spring of 2013 in Alberta. He was found orphaned and kept too long by his rescuer before being turned over to a wildlife rehabilitation centre. Attempts to integrate Tippy with other coyotes undergoing rehabilitation were unsuccessful. Tippy was far too habituated to humans to be rehabilitated and released. Attempts to find Tippy a home at a zoo anywhere in North America were also unsuccessful. Tippy’ s caregivers eventually contacted Aspen Valley to see if we could provide Tippy with a permanent home. We asked for and received permission from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to bring Tippy to Ontario to be a companion for our other coyote, Zoe. Tippy arrived at Aspen Valley in October 2013.
Coyotes can live up to ten years in the wild but many die before age three due to disease, predation by animals and humans, and collisions with vehicles. In captivity, coyotes have been known to live up to eighteen years.