Authorities are investigating after six coyote puppies were found drowned and another badly injured in a northwest suburb.
Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation posted a photo of the surviving coyote on social media saying its leg was shattered. The male pup was found in a bucket near Penny Road in Barrington, according to the Facebook post. The “heinous crime” occurred on May 11, Flint Creek says.
“This little boy has been in our care since the night of May 11th but his rehabilitation will be extensive due to the severity of his injuries,” the post reads.
[[423916244, C]]
The wildlife organization requests anyone with information about the deaths contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Tip Line at 1-877-2DNRLAW.
The DNR did not immediately respond to request for comment.
In the comments section of the post, a dialogue between the page administrator revolves around locals who may want to find coyote dens and kill the animals who are often seen as a threat to domesticated animals like dogs and cats.
Local
According to the Humane Society, killing coyotes actually causes their numbers to increase.
“Shoot or poison coyotes and you will have just as many again within a year or two,” the organization says. “Kill one or both members of the alpha pair (A)—the only one that normally reproduces—and other pairs will form and reproduce. At the same time, lone coyotes will move in to mate, young coyotes will start having offspring sooner and litter sizes will grow.”
The comments on the post were mainly lamentations about the cruel treatment of the animals, while several posters did condone the killing of coyotes.
“I support hunting and harvesting these animals in a ethical way,” one commenter wrote. “But to kill maliciously—this person should pay,” one commenter wrote.
