Coyote behaviour caught on camera at Osoyoos Desert Centre

The Osoyoos Desert Centre has spotted a new visitor on its wildlife monitoring cameras in recent days, a coyote who, though apparently injured, appears to be soldiering through and feeding itself.

The centre, which works in habitat conservation, restoration and education in the unique Osoyoos desert ecosystem, is closed for the winter but still keeps tabs on the animals that call the area home.

This week, they caught sight of a coyote with blood on its face, indicating it had just finished hunting or eaten, but it was also limping.

They shared the video with the public, as they often do when wildlife visit their cameras.

Leor Oren, Osoyoos Desert Centre manager, said the video displays a typical canine behaviour. The coyote finds a frozen pond, then starts trying to chew something.

"It's either to clean a bone stuck in its mouth from its latest victim, or because sometimes when they're anxious, they chew on things like rocks or plastic. Just to release stress. And because this coyote seems to be injured at could be a sign of stress or anxiety," Oren said.

Oren said it looks like whatever the coyote's injury is was a small one, and the fact that it appears it has recently eaten is good news. But nature, especially during winter, can be harsh. While the Desert Centre's mission is conservation and education, it does not intervene in natural processes.

"If it was a man-made injury, like some human hurting a coyote, then we'll try to intervene. But if it's just nature doing its own thing, we let nature be and we don't get involved," Oren explained.

The Desert Centre is a registered charitable organization, which relies on donations to keep its many programs and efforts going.

It is closed to visitors until April, but in the meantime, more can be learned about the organization online here, including how to participate as a donor or volunteer.

Photo: Osoyoos Desert Centre