Mystified driver finds fur in car’s grille. Creature was still alive, FL cops say

A thick layer of fur found in the grille of a Buick proved to be a wild animal — and it was still alive, according to deputies in southwest Florida.

The potentially dangerous discovery was made Thursday, July 17, at a busy intersection in Port Charlotte, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office says.

”We responded to a call and found an animal had run out in front of a vehicle, got hit, and became stuck in the front portion of the bumper,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.

“That animal turned out to be a coyote, which we appropriately named Wile E.”

Coyotes weigh between 20 and 30 pounds and have been known to attack humans.

Photos show two men wearing elbow-length gloves worked to remove the coyote. The sheriff’s office didn’t say if it tried to bite its rescuers.

“Wile E. needed medical attention (apparently anvils don’t hurt, but vehicles do), so Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida Rescue and Transport was contacted, who came to get him,” the sheriff’s office said.

Two of the male coyote’s legs were broken in the collision, but he “is now safe in our care and expected to make a full recovery,” Southwest Florida Rescue reports.

The department’s July 21 Facebook post had more than 6,000 reactions and comments within a day, many wondering if the coyote was cooperative.

“So you can pull a whole coyote, with two (broken) legs but no tranquilizer, out of a car bumper and not get bit?” Kim Carlisle wrote.

“Don’t try this at home!” the department responded.

This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 7:34 AM with the headline "Mystified driver finds fur in car’s grille. Creature was still alive, FL cops say."