BORDERLANDS RESTORATION NETWORK
  • Who We Are
    • BRN Mission & Vision >
      • Policies
      • Annual Report
      • Strategic Plan
    • Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
    • Meet Our Team
    • BRN Fellows
    • Meet the Network >
      • Borderlands Restoration, L3c
      • Wildlife Corridors
      • Cuenca Los Ojos
    • Meet Our Partners
  • What we do
    • Education & Outreach >
      • Borderlands Earth Care Youth
      • Water is Life
      • Field Studies
      • Women Grow Food
      • Mesquite Workshops
      • Salud Comcaac
    • Native Plant Program >
      • Native Plant Program
      • Borderlands Nursery & Seed
      • Current Projects & Initiatives
      • Regional Seed Strategy
    • Watershed & Habitat Restoration >
      • Quail Habitat Restoration
      • Path Of The Jaguar
    • Borderlands Wildlife Preserve
  • News
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Join Us
    • Job Opportunities
    • Volunteer
    • ENewsletter
  • Blog
  • SHOP

Learning to Survive

12/18/2020

 

By: Cholla Nicoll, Borderlands Wildlife Preserve Lead Technician

​This year has been extremely challenging. Our collective choices have presented consequences that many of us have not survived. In the modern and wealthy world some of us live in, we rarely see the full results of our actions or inactions like we have in 2020. Many of us are learning to survive in ways we never thought we would have. Most of the time, I share light-hearted and educational stories of our local wildlife in an attempt to soften the reality of the frequently brutal nature of survival that we all as animals encounter. We need these gentle breaks to maintain hope and balance our lives, and there is beauty in the hardest of times. To close out 2020 and ring in 2021, I would like to share a beautiful story of survival from the Borderlands Wildlife Preserve.
Picture
​Several months back, as summer was waning into fall, I discovered a video that was difficult to watch. A coyote appeared with hackles raised, hobbling on three legs struggling to maneuver in front of the camera. This coyote was missing the lower portion of one of her back legs, and to make matters worse, she appeared to be alone. My mind flooded with questions. What happened to her? A leg trap or snare? A brutal encounter with another wild animal or dog? How will she survive? Will she suffer? Should I help her or let nature take its course?
Picture
I alerted my coworkers to be on the lookout for a three-legged coyote and let me know if they saw anything out of the ordinary. We could get her to a wildlife rehabilitation center if she couldn't hunt on her own. Then she vanished, no more pictures, no more videos, and no sightings. I feared she had succumbed to her injury as life is already challenging for coyotes and other wild animals under the very best conditions.

​Then two months later, to my astonishment, she reappeared. Her leg appeared to be no hindrance anymore, and she was part of a pack of four coyotes. Four-legged animals can survive well with three legs, and this coyote with the strong bonds formed in a pack now has an even better chance of survival.
Picture
Over the past year, I have collected a small group of images showing her moving throughout the preserve. Please enjoy this unique glimpse into her life and respect her story by not seeking her out. Fleeting from prying human eyes drains vital energy from our precious wildlife. This coyote needs no further challenges.
​
Once again, I find myself learning and teaching from the animals I observe. When the only choice we have is to survive or perish, we must adapt, seek the support we need, and flourish despite our challenges. Never underestimate that each of us has this ability, don’t give up, disappear when you need to heal, find your pack, and keep trying to survive.

From the Borderlands family to yours, Happy 2021!!!
​
Sincerely,
Cholla Nicoll
Borderlands Wildlife Preserve Lead Technician

Comments are closed.

    SEARCH OUR BLOG

    CATEGORIES
    ​

    All

    ARCHIVES
    ​

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    June 2017

Physical Address:
320-B School Street
​Patagonia, AZ 85624

Mailing Address:
PO Box 121
Patagonia, AZ 85624
General Contact:
E-mail: 
info@borderlandsrestoration.org
Phone Number: (520) 216-4148

​
Borderlands Nursery & Seed

42 San Antonio Road, Patagonia, AZ
www.borderlandsplants.org
​

Borderlands Wildlife Preserve
Patagonia, AZ

www.borderlandswildlifepreserve.org


Hours of Office Operation:
​

Monday-Thursday: 8AM-3PM
Friday: By Appointment
​Saturday-Sunday: Closed
​

DONATE
Copyright 2023-Borderlands Restoration Network
Photo used under Creative Commons from Rennett Stowe
  • Who We Are
    • BRN Mission & Vision >
      • Policies
      • Annual Report
      • Strategic Plan
    • Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
    • Meet Our Team
    • BRN Fellows
    • Meet the Network >
      • Borderlands Restoration, L3c
      • Wildlife Corridors
      • Cuenca Los Ojos
    • Meet Our Partners
  • What we do
    • Education & Outreach >
      • Borderlands Earth Care Youth
      • Water is Life
      • Field Studies
      • Women Grow Food
      • Mesquite Workshops
      • Salud Comcaac
    • Native Plant Program >
      • Native Plant Program
      • Borderlands Nursery & Seed
      • Current Projects & Initiatives
      • Regional Seed Strategy
    • Watershed & Habitat Restoration >
      • Quail Habitat Restoration
      • Path Of The Jaguar
    • Borderlands Wildlife Preserve
  • News
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Join Us
    • Job Opportunities
    • Volunteer
    • ENewsletter
  • Blog
  • SHOP