Wildlife Works, Inc wildlife sanctuary in Pennsylvania has announced that the mystery animal they had been treating in January turned out to be a coyote.
“We are still waiting for the results of the DNA sample to come in,” they wrote on their Facebook page on January 24. “He is doing much better now and is much more alert than when he came to us last week.”
“He is still not showing extreme signs of aggression but is more on the defensive side,” they added, noting that the animal was not microchipped.
In the photos, the animal looked extremely skinny and malnourished. It was also missing most of its fur.
They later updated followers that the mystery animal was definitely not a missing pet as DNA came back showing it was 100 percent coyote.
Sadly, the organization later shared that the animal escaped from the facility during its recovery in a now-deleted post.
It escaped by chewing through a window seal and screen, according to Fox News. Afterward, a hospital worker found scratch marks and damage in the part of the hospital where the animal was staying.
Before escaping, the coyote was being treated for mange.
Although traps were set up and warm shelter was provided, the animal still hasn’t been spotted.
The organization said on their Facebook page that sharing this adventure has been met with both “love and support” and “nastiness and naysayers.”
“Rest assured we have learned a lot from this experience and will be better prepared in the future,” they said.