"One of the most amazing learning experiences": Coyote family makes den under South Lake Tahoe home
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — It's a rare peek into the lives of newborn coyote pups and their mom. A camera has been capturing the family under a South Lake Tahoe home they turned into their own den.
A feeding frenzy with a special coyote candid camera was captured by Lake Tahoe nature lover Toogee Sielsch.
"It was just a bit of luck," Sielsch said.
That luck struck when Mom picked a South Lake Tahoe home as her den. The homeowner called Sielsch to help get her out.
"I explained to them the situation, and I explained that trying to get that family to move to another site would probably be fatal for a number of those pups," Sielsch told CBS13.
Instead of moving the family, he made movies of the family.
"I was trying to have as little impact on their world as possible. My camera was very small," Sielsch said. "This has been one of the most amazing learning experiences I've ever had with any wildlife species."
The videos, recorded over two weeks, show Mom refereeing playfights. It also shows how long she spent gone — 16 hours a day — hunting for food.
"You see how hard it is and how much work Mom puts into raising those pups," Sielsch said.
A close-up look chronicling the lives of this coyote family is giving us all a glimpse into this wildlife wonder.
"It's such a secretive affair for coyote birthing dens, and to be able to document it day in and day out, 24 hours a day, it just makes me so excited," Silesch said.
Those videos were all posted to Toogee Sielsch's Instagram page where he generated thousands of views. He said the mother did end up moving from the den on her own just a few days ago.