On May 7, 2023, For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue in Chattanooga, Tennessee, received a call about a baby animal found cold and weak in the rain.
Tory Chang was driving and saw the shivering baby. She thought it was a fox and picked it up. She then called For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue.
But when she sent a photo of the “fox”, the rescue team was confused. It didn’t look like a typical fox.
Still, they wanted to help. “The photo showed an animal that looked a bit like a coyote but had fox-like markings,” they shared on Facebook.
Image source: For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue
They guessed the baby, named Yoti, might be a mix of Shepherd and Cur or a mix of coyote and dog. But they weren’t sure without a DNA test.
Since they couldn’t care for a pet dog, a volunteer named Karen Keeton fostered Yoti.
People were curious about Yoti’s real type. The rescue said, “We’re sure she’s not just a fox. She has markings that aren’t found in pure coyotes.”
Image source: For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue
But as Yoti grew, she acted too wild for a home and returned to the rescue. “She acts like a mix of coyote and dog. We need her DNA results to know,” they said.
Image source: For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue
After waiting, the DNA results arrived.
What do you think Yoti is?
Image source: For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue
The rescue shared, “Yoti has dog genes from about 4 generations ago. Coyote and dog mixes are rare because they have different life cycles and male dogs don’t help with babies. But nature has its ways.”
The DNA and her unique look suggest Yoti’s great-great-grandparent was a dog, which mixed with coyotes over time.
Even if Yoti had a dog ancestor, her parents were wild. So, she’ll be treated as a wild animal.
They planned to move Yoti to Walden’s Puddle in Joelton, Tennessee. When she’s grown, she’ll likely go back to the wild.
