RAMONA, Calif.—Efforts are being made Jan. 25 to return a young coyote to the wild after it was rescued from a flooded field, the San Diego Humane Society’s (SDHS) Ramona Wildlife Center said.

On Monday, SDHS' Humane Law Enforcement personnel were called to the flooded Tijuana River Valley in the 2200 block of Dairy Mart Road in San Diego about a dog with a bucket stuck on its head floating in debris, according to the organization.

The only way to reach the animal was by boat, so San Diego lifeguards helped the humane officers reach the animal—which turned out to be a coyote, not a dog.

A coyote in a flooded field full of debris with a bucket stuck on his head in San Diego on Jan. 22, 2024. (Courtesy of San Diego Humane Society)

According to the Humane Society, the animal was rushed to the Bahde Wildlife Center for initial triage and care, and veterinarians administered a sedative and pain medication. They removed the bucket from the coyote’s head, provided fluids, and took X-rays. The coyote was wet, suffering from mild hypothermia, and had cactus spines stuck in its fur and wounds that needed care, officials said.

After the first 24 hours, the coyote was transferred to the Ramona Wildlife Center, where a Project Wildlife team rehabilitates apex predators.

“We are hopeful this juvenile coyote will be able to recover and return to the wild soon,” SDHS spokeswoman Nina Thompson said.