Exotic animal starts new life at San Antonio-area wildlife sanctuary after being found on front porch

An exotic animal is starting a new life at a wildlife sanctuary after being discovered on a San Antonio resident’s porch, officials with the city’s Animal Care Services said.

A South Side resident was surprised Friday when he found a non-native species known as a coati on his front porch. Unsure of what type of animal he’d encountered, the man called ACS, according to an online post from the city department.

“This nimble creature gave the officers a good work-out trying to capture her, but with teamwork — and a short sprint — they managed to safely contain her,” ACS said in the social media post.

After catching the coati, ACS identified the animal’s owner as a man who lived on the same street.

Native to South and Central America, coati are rarely seen in South Texas and are illegal to own within city limits since they’re considered wild animals. After discussing the matter with Game Wardens from Texas Parks & Wildlife, ACS officials decided it was best to transfer the raccoon-like beast to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Inc. in Kendalia.

According to ACS, those caught harboring coati in San Antonio could have their exotic pet confiscated and face fines of up to $2,000.

“Please, let wild animals stay wild,” ACS said in its online post.

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This article appears in Dec 28, 2022 – Jan 10, 2023.