Three of 4 Coyotes Die After Removal From Tinley Park Refuge

TINLEY PARK, IL — A Tinley Park rescuer whose coyotes died after authorities removed them from her backyard refuge will find out the fate of her last remaining animal Friday as the two sides go to court in a battle to determine whether she can legally keep coyotes on her property.

Tomi Tranchita said she learned this week that three of the four coyotes that were removed by Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources conservation police and Cook County Animal Control officers April 24 have died. She was told the cause was canine distemper, a claim she denies.

"They did not have distemper," she said. "I know the signs and they were healthy when they were removed from here."

She added that at least one was injured during the removal from the grounds.

Tranchita said that she did not know which of the four is still living.

In a statement released Wednesday, Tim Schweizer of the Department of Natural Resources said that “upon removal from the residence, officers noted one animal was symptomatic of canine distemper. Following tests, that animal was confirmed to have the disease, with all others being exposed. Three of the animals are now deceased. We understand Ms. Tranchita’s concern for the animals; however, the state department of natural resources is required by law to enforce state statutes and regulate wildlife.”

Tranchita has raised coyotes for as long as 13 years, many of them from pups. She first picked up some puppies years ago after someone dropped them off at a local shelter, thinking they were dog pups. A rescue group tried nursing them, but one died. Tranchita took three of them in, and from there began rescuing others.

She then turned her backyard into a coyote rescue, and was given a license by the USDA that is like an exhibitor's license, similar to what zoos have, she explained. She said regulators had inspected her yard and approved it for use as a rescue, so she was under the impression she complied with local laws.

However, in April, the IDNR confiscated some paperwork and the animals, and cited her for unlawful take of a fur-bearing animal (coyote), unlawful collection of a protected species without a permit; and unlawful take of a protected species and keeping it alive. A spokesman said that there are no IDNR permits on file for Tranchita.

Tranchita said she did not know why authorities cited her or confiscated the coyotes. No complaints have been filed, she said, and neighbors have not complained.

She said she is careful to distinguish them from pets because, as she said, coyotes are not dogs and cannot be kept in a house. She added that she operates a clean and legal outdoor shelter that is appropriate for them.

The loss of her wards has broken her heart, she said.

"They were definitely my loves, my life here," she said. "I spent hours with them outside."