J,
Thanks for posting this. I was just about to post the same picture and note from Southwest when I spotted your post. Cool.
Yes, Sandy is doing very well and is emotionally stable and happy. Her and Shorty were made for each other. It is very clear that coyotes are picky about who they choose as mates. She was introduced to others that were not to her liking, but Shorty and her found love at first sight. Their relationship is still fine after about 2 1/2 years together. They seem to be equals with neither one always dominant.
None of us knew what Sandy would be like once she fully matured and had lived at Southwest for a while. There was some speculation that she would become unpredictable and dangerous, etc. Comments like, "she's fine now, but she could turn on you later", or "wait till she is fully mature and see what happens", etc.. Well, she will be five years old in March and she is as nice as ever. None of us knew what the future might bring out in her and that is the interesting part. Now we know she is as nice and fun as ever.
Her natural wariness or shyness, made it a bit hard for her to be fenced in where she could hear someone approaching but not see them or hide, but with the addition of a little structure and more dirt, she seems to be fine.
Volunteers can go in her enclosure and sit with her or bring her treats and games, just as anyone might with a domestic dog. She thanks them for occasional rabbit meat by running off with the treasure and then returning with a smile. When someone walks along the fence she will come over and trot along with them as they go. And she loves to lick and nibble on our fingers when we stick them through the fence. She jumps for joy when she sees Liye and wants nothing more than to come out and play. In every way, the same behavior that can be seen in domestic dogs. Charming, fun, curious, playful, affectionate and very expressive. When she lived with us and was free to roam as she pleased, she was more cat like. Doing her own patrolling and exploring in an independent way. Eager to spend time with her pack mates, but also happy to have her own time. Then wanting to start a game, or steal a glove to hide, or dismantle a rabbit on the porch. Always a nap in the middle of the day.
In every way we can see, she is still tame and fun and caring. She can develop relationships with the volunteers that carry on visit after visit. They become friends. It's also interesting that mental challenges, like games and training sessions, tire her more than physical exercise. So she needs to nap after visits.
We are very grateful for all that Southwest has done for her. Sandy has shown a side of coyotes that few could have imagined or been willing to believe. But there she is for all to see and her story is well documented. If someone likes dogs, how can they not be fascinated with Sandy? Having met her, how can someone not be curious about coyotes in general? Even though they can be dangerous and destructive in the wild, maybe we can begin to understand them better, or hear them in the night and smile instead of worry. I like to go out at night and stand quietly when they are near the house. Then turn on a flashlight to catch a glimpse. Wait as they sing and work their way along. There are a couple of usual suspects that get spotted occasionally in the day.
