Forest preserves to review captive-animal program
Move comes after controversy over Northbrook coyote
Following controversy over a captive coyote, Cook County forest preserves officials will conduct a review of the district’s practice of keeping animals in captivity.
The review comes after a petition to transfer the coyote from a forest preserve cage to an open animal sanctuary drew more than 4,000 signatures, but the district board declined the proposal.
While the Forest Preserve District is home to many wild animals such as coyote and deer, it also runs an “ambassador animal” program at six nature centers, keeping a variety of turtles, snakes and fish indoors, and injured hawks and other birds outdoors. That has included a coyote at River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook and another coyote that died at age 17 in 2020 in its cage at the Trailside Museum of Natural History in River Forest. Typically, the outdoor animals have been injured and deemed unable to live in the wild.
In the case of the Northbrook coyote, it was found as a pup in Tennessee and mistakenly brought to an animal shelter where it was raised by humans. By the time they discovered it was a coyote, a rehabilitator and a vet concluded it was no longer able to live in the wild, and it was transferred to the forest preserve.
After coming upon the coyote pacing back and forth in a 266-square-foot cage, Northbrook resident Nicole Milan offered to pay to transfer the animal to the Wild Animal Sanctuary, a 789-acre site outside of Denver that allows coyotes and other animals to roam in large fenced enclosures, and provides food and veterinary care.
Several veterinarians and animal care consultants testified at a Forest Preserve District board meeting that the animal showed signs of stress in its cage, and would do better in a larger, more natural setting at the animal sanctuary. Coyotes are social animals, and if it was deemed safe, the coyote could live in a pack.
The district announced its review on Twitter Wednesday, stating that officials appreciated the concerns, but despite “misinformation” otherwise, the coyote is “wellcared for, well-housed … healthy and happy.”
Earlier this month, the forest preserves began a strategic planning process to review goals and operations. In consultation with Commissioner Scott Britton, in whose district the coyote is kept, the agency is now expanding that initiative to include a review of its ambassador animal program, including its procedures and practices, for all nature centers.
The process will consider an overview of the latest academic research, the state of the discussion around animals in captivity, input from other third-party experts, best practices locally and nationally, and bench marking against other, similar programs.
The forest preserves will provide an update on the process in March, but officials did not indicate they were considering moving the coyote.
“We look forward to taking a close look at how we can continue to provide the best care possible for our ambassador animals, while providing a dynamic and interactive learning environment at our nature centers,” the district statement said.
Milan welcomed the review, but feared there might be only superficial efforts, saying, “I’m not holding my breath that this is going to make a change.”
Britton, the forest preserve commissioner, said he was impressed by what he learned about the animal sanctuary, adding, “I’m going to keep pressing the forest preserve for what’s best for this animal.”