Police, animal rescuers free injured coyote from St. James mud

A coyote trapped in nearly four feet of quicksand-like mud in St. James was pulled to safety after Suffolk County police called Strong Island Animal Rescue League’s Frankie Floridia to the marsh near Sweetbriar Nature Center.

The rescue unfolded around 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 3, in Suffolk County, where Floridia and responders from Sweetbriar worked to reach the animal after it was reported stuck in the wetland. A nearby neighbor also helped by throwing a rope to Floridia and pulling him back to land as the team worked to free the coyote.

Strong Island Animal Rescue League said the coyote had an injured paw. Later reporting from the nonprofit said the animal was also emaciated and had a broken leg, injuries serious enough to require ongoing veterinary care and possible surgery. The coyote was taken to Sweetbriar Nature Center, where staff are treating it and monitoring its recovery.

Sweetbriar’s wildlife rehabilitation clinic provides medical care and rehabilitation for injured, sick and orphaned wildlife on Long Island. The center, a 54-acre wildlife rehabilitation and education facility on the Nissequogue River, has spent more than 50 years serving as a refuge for wildlife in need.

The St. James rescue points to the difficult conditions wildlife face in suburban Suffolk, especially in marshes, wooded edges and other habitat where animals can become trapped or injured. In this case, police, animal rescuers and a neighbor had to work together to get the coyote out alive, showing how often local agencies and rehabilitators are the ones that respond when wildlife is in trouble.

Strong Island Animal Rescue League is asking for donations to help cover the coyote’s recovery and medical costs. For residents who come across an injured coyote or another distressed wild animal, the St. James response shows that Suffolk County police and trained wildlife rescuers are the people who move first when the situation turns dangerous.