Rare black fox named shadow rescued in Wales.Photo: Black Foxes UK/Facebook
A rare black fox in Wales was recently found after a two-week rescue mission.
The efforts to humanely capture the 2-year-old fox, named Shadow for its hue, commenced afterBlack Foxes UKbegan receiving reports of an abandoned silver fox on April 8.
Since such a fox is not a common sight in the U.K., many had witnessed Shadow frequenting public places in Barry, Wales, and called the rescue organization to report their sightings. According to a press release from the organization, the breed is a captive-bred line of North American red fox and this particular animal was thought to have escaped from a private owner.
“The North American red fox, or ‘silver fox’, was brought to the U.K. for the fur trade in the early 1900s, with a ban on breeding animals primarily for their fur occurring in 2000. However, the last fox farm in the U.K. closed its doors in 1982, long before the ban,” a rep for Black Foxes UK explained in the press release.
Rare black fox named shadow rescued in Wales.Black Foxes UK/Facebook
“We [had] received hundreds of calls and messages, and attempts to locate the owner were fruitless. Due to stretched resources, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were limited in their capacity to assist, asking members of the public to only call if the animal was injured. They were able to make an attempt to capture the fox several times, but they were ultimately unsuccessful,” they added.
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“Shadow is very confident around people and was clearly well-socialized prior to his escape,” added Black Foxes UK. While the organization explained that there were reports the furry creature had a leg injury, he was found to be in good health after his capture and has been re-homed with educational companyAnimals Interactive.
The Black Foxes UK release stated that another black fox may be on the loose in the area still; those who see such a creature are encouraged to call in their sightings.
source: people.com
