A Studio City coyote who became a neighborhood fixture because of a startling facial disfigurement has died, after veterinarians discovered the devastating cause of the injury that had made her so recognizable.
The young female coyote, known affectionately to locals as “Wendy,” was humanely euthanized after an exam found two pellets lodged in her head, Wildlife Care of Southern California said Tuesday in a social media update.
The grim finding followed weeks of efforts by rescuers to capture the roughly 3-year-old animal, who had been seen for more than a year wandering the Southern California neighborhood with a large mass extending from the left side of her face.
The wildlife rescue group had hoped Wendy could be safely trapped, medically treated and, if possible, released back into her natural habitat.
But once veterinarians were finally able to evaluate her, the severity of her condition became heartbreakingly clear.
Scans revealed that Wendy had likely been shot sometime earlier, with two pellets left embedded in her skull. The injury had led to a severe infection that progressively consumed the left side of her face, completely destroying the upper jawbone in that area.
After reviewing the extent of the damage, veterinarians concluded there was no viable surgical option or medical treatment that could give Wendy normal facial function again.
Her bone was simply no longer there.
Even if she survived, she would have needed to eat soft food for the rest of her life, making a return to the wild impossible.
“Her strength carried her for as long as her body possibly could,” Wildlife Care of Southern California said in a heartbreaking Facebook post.
The organization said rescuers ultimately decided that keeping Wendy alive under those circumstances would only prolong her suffering.
During her final week in care, however, Wendy was reportedly comfortable, receiving medication and surrounded by people who had fought to save her.
Her death marks the heartbreaking end to a saga that captivated Studio City residents and animal lovers online.
Before she was captured, photos of Wendy showed the shocking mass spreading across the left side of her face, sparking a frenzy of concern, and some decidedly less sympathetic internet jokes.
One social media user joked that the coyote had been “beat up by an orange cat,” while another quipped that she appeared to have been struck by an anvil.
But behind the viral images was a badly injured wild animal that had apparently been surviving with excruciating damage for months.
Wildlife Care of Southern California said Wendy’s case demonstrated just how remarkably resilient wild animals can be.
Despite suffering a devastating gunshot injury, a severe infection and the loss of part of her jaw, Wendy continued searching for food and navigating life in the neighborhood.
Rescuers said they chose not to immediately release images from her examination because they did not want her final memory to be defined by the gruesome extent of her injuries.
Instead, they remembered Wendy for her “fierce will to survive” and the wild spirit that inspired people throughout Studio City and far beyond.
“This is no life for a 3-year-old coyote,” the organization said.
While Wendy could not be saved, rescuers said the outpouring of support from residents, donors and volunteers gave her something she desperately needed in her final days — safety, medical care and freedom from pain.
“Godspeed little girl,” the organization wrote.
Southern California Pit Bull Rescue posted that they are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who is responsible for shooting Wendy.
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