This father coyote, almost hidden from view, was hunting for prey when I found him. He continued hunting, looking up twice to check on me. Then, after catching his prey, he came to the opening where I could see him, to show me what he got!! He was there only briefly, finishing off the job without putting his eyes at risk, before taking off, prey in mouth, to feed his youngsters.
I have seen dogs and snakes without an eye — always due to a rodent defending itself when it was caught as prey by these animals. Both cats and coyotes have developed a method of withdrawing their faces quickly after capturing prey and attempting to disable it in order to preserve their eyes. We humans call it “toying” with their prey, but in fact, it has a very valid purpose I’ve been told by animal behaviorists.
Coyote Yipps 
