A father and son headed out for a game of golf, only to be joined by an unexpected third player: a wild coyote.
Clint Gray, 49, lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and recently headed to the Los Altos Golf Course with his 16-year-old son, Paxton, where they noticed there was a coyote in a bunker.
“We were not quite sure how it was going react and we actually were in the area for about 10 minutes watching it and wondering what to do,” Gray told Newsweek.
As the coyote appeared relaxed and was lying down, Gray decided to carry on the game, and his son recorded his shot, just to see if the animal would react.
Left, Clint Gray is seen at Los Altos Golf Course in Albuquerque with the coyote in the background. Right, the coyote is seen with Gray’s golf ball in its mouth.
Left, Clint Gray is seen at Los Altos Golf Course in Albuquerque with the coyote in the background. Right, the coyote is seen with Gray’s golf ball in its mouth.
Instagram @clintlgray
And it did—in a big way, which has led to a video on Gray’s Instagram account @clintlgray going viral with over 80,000 likes.
Shared on October 20, it shows Gray preparing to play a shot, while the coyote can be seen lying down in the background. But as soon as he hits the ball, the coyote is up and running.
Like countless domesticated dogs before it, the coyote sprinted to the ball, tail wagging, and picked it up in its mouth. It then stared at the father and son before hopping up and sprinting to the shade of a nearby tree.
Gray captioned the video: “Sooo, hole in one?”
Speaking to Newsweek, he said: “At first my son thought it was running towards me when I hit the ball. He quickly realized [it] wasn’t and kept recording.
“It was an unforgettable moment that we will always share.”
Instagram users were in awe at the unusual video, with one joking: “It craves domestication.”
“The coyote’s little wiggle before he hits the ball kills me,” another laughed, while one joked Gray was the “only guy I’ve seen hit a ball and it went further away from the hole.”
Someone else shared their own coyote story, writing; “I saw a coyote playing in sprinklers on a farm on a hot day. It was so cute.”
Left, Gray is seen with his son Paxton. Right, the coyote is seen running away with Gray’s golf ball in its mouth.
Left, Gray is seen with his son Paxton. Right, the coyote is seen running away with Gray’s golf ball in its mouth.
Instagram @clintlgray
According to the City of Albuquerque, coyotes are seen as an important part of the natural ecosystem, and the city will only remove urban coyotes in extreme circumstances where there is a threat to humans.
A coyote on a person’s property should be “hazed,” by scaring it away, or by removing attractants such as water or accessible bird feeders. Trapping the coyote is not recommended, and leg-hold traps are illegal in Albuquerque.
Local Parks and Recreation director, Dave Simon, told Newsweek: “An amazing feature of Albuquerque is our closeness to the natural world. Residents and visitors—including golfers on city courses—can directly experience nature like few other cities.”
“That also means understanding how to live with and respect nature,” he said. “Despite this ‘coyote caddy’s’ playful behavior, everyone should remember that this is a wild animal. Coyotes can pose a risk if they feel threatened. People should appreciate wildlife from a safe distance to ensure their own safety and that of these beautiful animals.”
Gray, who is vice president of business development and facilities for professional soccer team New Mexico United, said the huge response to his video has been “fun to watch, especially for my son. He texts me during the day as the numbers continue to go up.”
He added: “I love that it sheds some light on coyotes and how they just want to play and have fun too!”
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