8 years behind bars
Please help us #FreeRocky, the lonely coyote/pack animal, who’s been stuck all alone in a small cage in Chicagoland’s bitter cold winters for approximately eight years. Rocky can be found pacing, day-in and day-out.
Rocky's Story
The rumor is, Rocky was mistaken for a dog as a puppy. (Yet this isn't even how one would house a dog or keep a pet who was raised in captivity.)
Rocky can be found pacing.
This is also not how we should keep wild animals who deserve all the freedom we can give them.
Pleas for Rocky's transfer to sanctuary in Colorado have fallen on deaf ears, of people who want to keep Rocky on display.
This is not conservation; it's a life-sentence for an animal who did no wrong.
This is not education. It's exploitation.
Advocates cite signs of stress, the need for a companion, and the need for a more natural and spacious habitat.
Rocky is being kept at the River Trail Nature Center and Preserve in Northbrook, Illinois.
Key Facts About Coyote Pups:
Terminology: Primarily "pups," sometimes "whelps".
Birth: Born blind and helpless in dens, usually in spring (April/May).
Parental Care: Both parents care for them, with the mother nursing and the father hunting and bringing food.
Diet Transition: Start on milk, then move to regurgitated food, and eventually learn to hunt small prey.
Development: Emerge from the den around 3-4 weeks and begin learning to hunt around 10 weeks.
Group Name: A group of coyotes is called a pack, rout, or band.
Be a Voice for Rocky
cookcounty.board@cookcountyil.gov
&
Forest Preserve Foundation
312-603-8349
Toni Preckwinkle, 35th President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
(312) 603-6400
cookcounty.board@cookcountyil.gov,info@tonipreckwinkle.org,info@forestpreservefoundation.org
Others:
Forest Preserves of Cook County:
(Use the Contact form): fpdcc.com/contact
Possible Subject Lines:
Request for Ethical Review and Sanctuary Placement for Rocky the Coyote
/
Concern Regarding the Welfare and Long-Term Care of Rocky the Coyote
/
Formal Request to Transfer Rocky the Coyote to a Sanctuary
/
Aligning Animal Welfare Practices with the Nature Center’s Mission
/
Request Regarding Rocky the Coyote’s Continued Confinement
Body:
Please free Rocky, the captive coyote, from a life confined to a cage. This situation does not reflect protection or education, but rather prolonged isolation and exploitation of an animal who has done no wrong.
The Nature Center Rules clearly state: “Pets are not permitted on Nature Center grounds, including the parking lots.” Rocky was raised in captivity and depends entirely on humans. When convenient, he is treated as a domestic animal; when not, he is classified as “wild” and kept for display. This inconsistency raises serious ethical concerns.
If the mission of the Nature Center is education, conservation, and respect for wildlife, then Rocky’s continued confinement contradicts those values. A reputable sanctuary would offer him space, enrichment, and a life aligned with animal welfare standards.
We respectfully urge you to transfer Rocky to an appropriate sanctuary and publicly commit to humane, ethical treatment of all animals in your care.
Tag (@) River Trail Nature Center
And comment on their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/RiverTrailNatureCenter
Free Rocky, the lonely coyote, from a life in a cage.
This is not protection—it’s exploitation.
This is not education—it’s solitary confinement for an animal who did no wrong.
Your own Nature Center rules state that pets are not permitted on the grounds. Rocky was raised in captivity—yet when convenient, he’s treated like a pet, and when not, he’s labeled “wild” and put on display. Which is it?
Rocky deserves dignity, space, and care—not a lifetime behind bars.
Send Rocky to sanctuary.
THANK YOU
Thank you so much for speaking up for Rocky. Please keep urging the above contacts and checking back in with them to see if they can take some time to make a better life and for animals everywhere!