Coyotes – Sunny & Blue
(Canis latrans)
Curious. Adaptable. Wildly Misunderstood.
Coyotes are among North America’s most successful survivors—intelligent, resilient, and vital to the balance of ecosystems. Often portrayed as villains in folklore and urban myths, coyotes are actually ecological heroes, keeping rodent and rabbit populations in check and maintaining natural harmony.
At Cat Tales Wildlife Center, our resident coyotes, Sunny and Blue, are charismatic ambassadors for misunderstood predators everywhere. Through education and observation, they help visitors replace fear with fascination and recognize the importance of coexistence with wildlife.
The Story of Sunny & Blue
Born on April 8, 2018, Sunny and Blue arrived at Cat Tales as pups in need of a permanent home. They came alongside older animals who required sanctuary after outgrowing their roles at other facilities.
In many settings, space is limited and heartbreaking decisions are made—older animals are often euthanized to make room for younger, “marketable” ones. But not here.
At Cat Tales, we believe that every animal deserves lifelong care and respect, regardless of age or popularity. Sunny and Blue found not only a forever home, but a place to thrive as individuals and as ambassadors for their species.
Their names honor the deep cultural roots of the coyote in Indigenous tradition:
- Sunny (Sinawava) comes from the Southern Paiute word for “coyote,” symbolizing wisdom, transformation, and balance.
- Blue (Talapus) takes his name from Chinook Jargon, where the coyote appears as the clever trickster and teacher, reminding humans to laugh, adapt, and respect the wild.
Together, Sunny and Blue embody the cleverness and resilience that make their species both captivating and essential.
- Wide Range: Coyotes live throughout North and Central America, from deserts and grasslands to forests and city suburbs.
- Incredible Adaptability: They are opportunistic feeders, eating whatever is available—rodents, rabbits, fruits, insects, carrion, and even fish.
- Physical Traits: Their coats range from tawny brown to silver-gray, with bushy tails and large, upright ears. No two coyotes look exactly alike.
- Communication: Coyotes are known for their distinctive howls, yips, and barks—sounds that establish territory and strengthen social bonds.
- Family Life: Breeding pairs often form lifelong bonds. Pups are born in spring and raised cooperatively within family groups.
- Role in the Ecosystem: By controlling small mammal populations, coyotes support biodiversity and help prevent the spread of disease.
Coyotes are nature’s cleanup crew, opportunistic hunters and scavengers who maintain healthy ecosystems. Yet, they are frequently misunderstood and persecuted due to misinformation.
Learning about animals like Sunny and Blue helps people see that predators are not enemies—they’re essential. When coyotes are removed from ecosystems, prey species often overpopulate, leading to crop damage and imbalance in natural food chains.
At Cat Tales, we teach that coexistence begins with understanding: securing trash, supervising pets, and allowing wildlife corridors can make peaceful sharing of space possible for all.
Sunny and Blue live in a spacious, natural habitat designed to encourage natural behaviors—digging, scent-marking, howling, and foraging.
- Enrichment: Keepers provide new scents, puzzle feeders, and seasonal challenges to engage their sharp minds and keen senses.
- Bonded Pair: These two are deeply connected and communicate through vocalizations, tail signals, and synchronized movements.
- Ambassadors of Awareness: Guests often leave the exhibit surprised by their playfulness, beauty, and intelligence—proof that empathy begins with exposure.
Their duet howls can be heard across the park, often joined by nearby wolves—a haunting and beautiful sound that reminds us how wildness still lives among us.
Coyotes are currently listed as a species of Least Concern, thanks to their adaptability. However, they face ongoing threats from habitat loss, trapping, and predator control programs based on outdated myths.
Public education is the best defense for their survival. By shifting perceptions from fear to understanding, sanctuaries like Cat Tales help people appreciate the coyote’s ecological importance and cultural legacy.