Recently, we received a very strange call. A truck driver from California was passing through and stopped at a truck stop in Goodyear. He noticed people giving candy to a small animal and it was drawing quite a crowd. People were even posing for pictures with the little animal. He went over to get a better look and discovered the animal was a coatimundi-coati for short.

He inquired as to who owned the animal, as he knew this is not a domestic animal and this was not a healthy situation for the creature. He was told that it had just showed up one day. Likely, she was dumped because, although it sounded like a good idea when she was small, she grew up and was an inconvenience. The man knew she was in trouble, so he coaxed her into a crate and, after making a few calls, brought her to Southwest wildlife.

She is typical of wild animals that have been purchased as "pets". Her condition was deplorable! Our veterinary staff examined her and found her to be emaciated, missing fur, suffering with mange, severely infested with fleas and, to make certain she could not survive on her own, her canine teeth had been pulled. Then, after having endured that kind of torture, she was thrown away like garbage.

It took an enormous amount of care to bring her back to health, but she is now healthy and living with the other coatis at Southwest Wildlife. She is not releasable, but at least she now has a safe place to live where she will be treated with love and compassion and, best of all, she is now able to live with others of her kind.