Army to euthanize tame coyote, use it for explosives training

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A coyote that had become a neighborhood fixture was being turned over to the military to be killed, stuffed and then used to give troops experience handling explosives hidden inside the carcasses of dead animals.

Roadkill is just one of the things in which insurgents in Iraq are concealing improvised explosive devices.

The coyote, which was captured Friday morning, had made its home in neighborhoods in the southeast part of Jefferson City. Some of the resident fed the coyote and let it follow them as they walked their dogs.

But the coyote, which officials suspect was raised in captivity and released, became the chief suspect when a small dog and some cats died. Officials were worried the coyote might pose a threat to other pets and possibly young children.

Also because the animal was not vaccinated, officials feared it could be a disease carrier.

"It's a problem as far as pet safety and people safety. It's just not good to have a coyote who's not afraid of people," said Jim Braithwait with the Missouri Conservation Department.

After three Missouri zoos turned down requests to take the coyote, officials planned to euthanize the animal themselves.

"You can't just move it around," Braithwait said. "It's going to be bad wherever it goes."

But the plans changed when Braithwait received a call from Fort Leonard Wood.

Military officials plan to turn over the Jefferson City coyote and others like it to taxidermists. The stuffed animals will be used as tools to help soldiers learn to identify and diffuse explosives hidden in carcasses.

Officials also said the coyote didn't suffer in captivity.

"If we didn't do this, we would have to put it down and we figured this way it would help people," Braithwait said. "If it saves lives ... I feel good about it."