Give Orphaned and Injured Wildlife a Second Chance

For the first time in a few years (thanks to COVID), we just finished constructing a new fox enclosure at the Sanctuary. Thanks to a grant for materials and the construction knowledge and manpower provided by Charlottesville's Building Goodness Foundation, we now have the Taj Mahal of Fox enclosures! Like the other fox enclosures, it is situated out in the woods on the Sanctuary's property but far away from the bulk of bustling Sanctuary activities. This privacy creates a calm and serene environment for our fox kits (notoriously high-stress patients) to grow up in. Constructed by volunteers over the course of many weekends, the spacious new fox enclosure will provide a safe home while still allowing for species-specific natural history behavior...like plenty of digging! 

Serendipitously, the enclosure was finished just in time. So far in 2023, we have three times as many fox kits as last year - currently 18 and counting! Why so many this year? Well, each year is different with its own unique stories. For example, some of our kits this year came to RWS because a homeowner noticed the infant kits together in their backyard and thought they had stumbled upon a litter of domestic kittens. They put the kits in their barn, providing bowls of kitten formula, solid foods, and water for over a week before realizing they perhaps had a more wild situation on their hands. Red fox kits are born almost uniformly chocolate brown and just a tad bigger than a domestic cat – they look similar to a puppy or kitten. However, infant fox kits have a white-tipped tail and quickly develop a white spot on their chest, too. Their trademark red coat grows in after about one month. If you’re ever unsure what kind of animal you’re dealing with, reach out to a rehabber and ask! Rabies can be transmitted by both a bite and through saliva, so it was lucky for the kits that the rescuer used gloves and did not handle them directly. Had these kits been handled without gloves, the local health department could deem it necessary to test for rabies (a test that requires euthanasia). This is a lesson and a further reminder not to handle wildlife unless specifically instructed to by a permitted rehabilitator. 

As for the kits now? They’re doing well at RWS, fully weaned onto solid foods, and already moved into our beautiful new fox enclosure. We aim to release the adorable litter in late July! All due to the support provided by our patrons and the wonderful work of volunteers and staff. Thank You.