MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – Wildwood Zoo is pleased to announce the arrival of “Felix”, a male red fox. (“Willow” passed away unexpectedly earlier this month.) He is about 4 months old and is considered a “cross” fox in coloring. Felix remained off exhibit for the past month to acclimate to his new caretakers and ensure he was medically up to date. He was originally kept as a pet and transferred to Wildwood Zoo when his living situation needed to be adjusted. Felix is a very confident, curious, and playful individual who is thriving on exhibit.
Felix is an excellent ambassador for both his species and the importance of not keeping wild animals as pets. He has already begun training and bonding with his zookeepers in hopes that he can continue to educate and engage visitors through programs.
Red foxes are the most common fox species in the world and the largest of the true foxes. They are typically about 3 feet long and 2 feet tall with a red-orange coat, white belly and throat, white-tipped tail, and black ears and legs. They have a long, narrow snout and large, pointed ears. Their proportions can vary with their ecosystem; desert-dwelling foxes are taller and lankier with thinner coats, while foxes from colder places are more short, stocky, and fluffy. They make a range of vocalizations from soft huffs and whines to loud coughing sounds (called gekkering), barks, and screams. Families will often stay together and share a territory, which may overlap with other families’ territories.
There is considerable variation in the color morphs of red foxes. Natural coloring ranges from typical reddish-orange to shades of yellow and tan, nearly white, or almost entirely black. Silver foxes are the most common morph in North America, with a predominantly black coat and silver mottling across the face and back.
While there have been attempts at domesticating foxes, true domestication has yet to be achieved as the process typically takes hundreds or thousands of years. A Russian geneticist named Dmitry Belyayev bred multiple generations of silver foxes, selecting individuals who showed less fear and more attraction towards humans. While some consider this project a successful domestication, foxes from this line are more accurately described as tame. Even foxes meant to be companion animals still retain their wild instincts. They are loud, smelly, destructive, and likely to escape if not kept in a proper enclosure. Foxes are also very mouthy, and communicate a great deal using their teeth. Despite the growing popularity and demand for pet foxes, they do not make good pets.
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Author: News Desk
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