Rescue
Family Finds Strange Creature In Their Backyard
This creature is a rare sight.
D.G. Sciortino
11.26.18

When an Alsager, England family looked out their window into the backyard, they had no idea what they were looking at. Was it a dog? Was it a fox? What the heck was it?

The creature they were looking at looked like both. He looked just like a fox, but he wasn’t orange.

He had a salt and pepper coloring with a white tipped tail which also seemed unusual for a dog or a fox. The animal wasn’t really afraid of humans.

RSPCA
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RSPCA

He hung outside in the family’s backyard for an entire day. The family wasn’t quite sure what to do so they posted a picture of the animal on Facebook to see if anyone could identify it.

Maybe then they could figure out what to do or who to call from there. And just the right person ended up seeing that post.

Animal rescuer Amanda Lovett, a former employee of the RSPCA, decided she would come help. She grabbed some equipment and headed to the family’s home. She was able to identify the creature as a fox.

RSPCA
Source:
RSPCA

“I managed to safely catch the fox with a grasper and put him in a cat box before taking him to Stapeley Grange [Wildlife Center], who kindly stayed open later so he could be admitted,” Lovett said in a press release. “He was very quiet and seemed tame.”

When she arrived at the wildlife center she found out that the fox was a silver fox, an animal that’s often bred for its fur.

RSPCA
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RSPCA

The named the fox Shadow.

Shadow seemed so docile they assumed that he was being kept as an exotic pet that ran away or was abandoned by his owners.

“He was checked over by our team of vets and was found to be in good health, just a little overweight,” Lee Stewart, manager of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Center, said.

RSPCA
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RSPCA

“He is eating fine and seems to be doing well. He is the first silver fox we have ever had here at Stapeley Grange, in nearly 25 years we have been open. He is an impressive-looking animal and it has been interesting to us all to have such a rare admission.”

The RSPCA and wildlife center are working to figure out how he ended up in the family’s yard.

This sweet-faced fox may seem cute and cuddly but experts say that wild animals take a lot of work and do not make good pets.

RSPCA
Source:
RSPCA

“We always advise anyone thinking of getting a pet to fully research the animal’s specific needs before making a decision. Exotic pets can live a long time, grow to a large size and need to be taken an exotics vet if they become ill, which can be expensive,” the press release wrote.

“Foxes are wild animals with very specific needs no different to foxes living in the wild and they require specialist care. Even the most experienced fox experts have had difficulty keeping adult foxes successfully. Therefore, we never advise or condone keeping foxes as pets.”

Once they find out where Shadow came from, they will find a home for him with a specialized caretaker.

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