While going on a raft trip down the Red Deer and South Saskatchewan Rivers, Justin’s only care in the world was having a good time. The rafting experience was going to span a few days, and Justin was not anticipating anything other than fun. However, his trip soon toon a turn.
While paddling along, the Canadian rafter heard “a commotion coming from somewhere along the shoreline.” Upon investigation, Justin soon discovered that the noise was coming from YipYip, a little coyote who was struggling to swim in the water.
According to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan (WRSOS), Justin saw the little coyote pup struggling to swim in the river. Poor YipYip was barely able to stay afloat by the time that Justin got to him. As Justin went to pull the pup to safety, the man ended up falling into the “freezing cold water” himself.
Fortunately, the two of them managed to get out of the water. When Justin got YipYip onto his raft, the little coyote was not breathing and was unconscious. Thankfully, the coyote was in good hands as Justin knew CPR. With a little modification to the Heimlich maneuver, Justin managed to save YipYip’s life.
This was a turning point in their trip down the river. On that first night Justin and YipYip made camp on land and warmed themselves up with a nice campfire. YipYip ended up staying with Justin for the entire 10-day rafting excursion. As Justin explained, YipYip “would eat with Justin, cuddle in his jacket, and sleep in his backpack.” This is also when Justin officially gave YipYip his name.
According to the Shropshire Star, after completing the trip, Justin reached out to WRSOS. They happily took in little YipYip who “will be taken care of until he is old enough to be returned to the wild.” The little coyote pup has already been proving himself to be well-adjusted, having already made friends with all his new “siblings.” The facility already has plans for him to be reintroduced to the wild come autumn time.
