With spring arriving, it’s a common observation to see more activity of young animals out and about learning the ropes near neighborhood streets, greenspaces, and community open parklands and trails.
While some animals appear to be venturing out alone, without a parent, in most cases they are being closely monitored by a parent that is just not visible to humans unaware they are hiking, walking or jogging near animal den sites, according to Stormy Gibson, assistant executive director of Ohio Wildlife Center. Fox dens are particularly hidden in plain sight, she added, which can create human-wildlife conflicts for people and their pets.
Last year, Ohio Wildlife Center received dozens of reports from many people in central Ohio communities regarding ill or injured foxes spotted during daytime hours. Last spring, once such incident illustrated the innovative solution Ohio Wildlife Center staff deployed to solve a wildlife mystery involving foxes.
In April 2019, Ohio Wildlife Center’s InfoLine received a call from a local resident whose dog had been off-leash at a local cemetery. The dog tragically killed a fox kit (or pup) before the pet owner was able to intervene. The caller was distressed about what happened, and explained dogs were not permitted to be off-leash at this location. She was also concerned because there were three remaining fox kits playing in the open with no mother in sight. She observed the kits for some time, waiting to spot a fox parent in the vicinity, but seeing none she finally called Ohio Wildlife Center to report the sighting and share her story of what happened with her dog.
The Center’s wildlife rescue team was able to respond and received
permission from the cemetery’s owner to send out a trained volunteer to assess the situation at the den site. The kits were observed going in and out of the den and engaging in age-appropriate behaviors including playing and sleeping. Missing from the activity, however, were any adult foxes. On subsequent days, the volunteer continued to observe the kits, and although no adults were seen in the area, the kits were munching on new snacks including a road-killed opossum carcass, eggs, and, among other things, a baseball.
The den was hosting the kits, but no parent appeared during any daytime period when volunteer visited the site and saw the kits playing in the area. According to Gibson, with foxes, both parents are actively involved in raising the kits.
Eventually, the Wildlife Center volunteer set up a trail camera that did confirm the involvement of adult foxes with the den. This was great news, but not surprising, Gibson noted, that the adult foxes knew how to be elusive while humans were in the vicinity of the kits.
The adults were seen interacting with their young at dark or in the early morning hours, when the cemetery was closed to the public. Gibson said activity at fox dens varies from den to den depending on the location, proximity to predators, and human activity/encroachment.
Some dens have parents that are more involved with kits while they are out playing during the day. But, as Gibson noted, in this location, it did not mean the young had been abandoned if adults were not seen nearby.
Trail cameras, or any remote recording devices like popular house security cameras, are a great tool to remotely assess questionable situations for a wild animal that appears to need help (if there are no obvious signs of injury).
“Wild animals are pretty good at being wild when we give them a chance,” Gibson said. “If you are still uncertain of a potential orphan’s status after observing it or using a trail camera, check out the Center’s Found-an-Animal Tips,” she said. The information is listed at https://www.ohiowildlifecenter.org/help-wildlife/found-an-animal/.