A pair of curious foxes that garnered lots of attention in downtown Quesnel will soon be released back into the wild after being trapped by Second Chance Wildlife Rescue.
The siblings currently at Six Pack Ranch haven’t been given names other than Fox 1 and Fox 2.
Fox 1 was captured near Begbie’s Bar and Bistro after a live trap was set Sunday, Jan. 2.
“Monday morning, it was in there so we just loaded it up and I transferred it to a dog kennel,” said Second Chance Wildlife volunteer Tammy Zacharias. “The first one was a bit more timid than the second one.”
The following day Zacharias and a Conservation officer went to Tim Hortons.
Like Fox 1, Fox 2 was being fed by people seemingly unaware that it could do more harm than good.
“He was coming so close to us just grabbing turkey, and then finally Chris just netted him and we put him in a dog kennel,” Zacharias said.
Fox 2 was transported to Six Pack Ranch where it curled up with Fox 1 inside an old llama barn.
Based on their initial comical reaction of welcoming stares and smelling one another that Zacharias said could only be interpreted as hey, you made it, the foxes are believed to be siblings.
Read More: Curious fox captivates attention in downtown Quesnel
“We are assuming that Fox 1 is Petro Canada’s fox because Fox 2 was living across the street at the Fraser Village there,” Zacharias added.
“So I guess Fox 2 came out looking for Fox 1 or unless they’ve been playing us this whole time.”
Both foxes are in good shape, although Fox 2 appears to be slightly underweight.
They were examined by Dr. Bianca Scheidt with the Animal Care Hospital of Quesnel on what Zacharias described as an eventful night.
Only a towel was used during the oral examination in which the foxes were kept fully awake.
“They got quite the set of teeth on them, so if they bite, it is going to hurt,” Zacharias said. “It’s a good two, three-inch fang on there.”
Second Chance Wildlife Rescue had previously released five orphaned fox cubs south of Quesnel.
The cubs were living in a culvert near McDonald’s and their mother had been hit on the road.
Fox 1 and Fox 2 are hoped to be released east of Quesnel on Sunday, Jan. 9.
Zacharias reminds people not to feed wildlife and said there’s a reason she always tries not to give names to wildlife.
“It’s not a pet,” she stated. “It’s a wild animal.”
Starting the new year Second Chance Wildlife Life Rescue has also been busy with birds impacted by the extreme cold.
On Wednesday, Jan. 5. Zacharias was attempting to feed chunks of a mouse to a saw-whet owl that had been found in a snowbank.
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