The Fox and the Hare

While we still stand the risk of freezing rain and snow, it is indeed spring. As a result our patient numbers are slowly climbing from the 20 or less a month we admit in the winter, now to one or even several a day! The phones too, are getting busier and, as usual this time of year, a number of the calls we get are regarding the same animals, questions and/or situations. Last week we got a number of calls about raccoons getting into mischief. We attributed that to increased numbers of them looking for nesting sites for the season. This week it seems that all of the phone calls are about cottontail rabbit nests or red fox dens.
Cottontail rabbits have a relatively short gestation period and they also reproduce several times from spring through fall. Thankfully for the parents, they also have a very short rearing period as well; most infant cottontails are old enough to be weaned, eating solid food, and on their own by about 4 to 6 weeks of age.

If you find a nest of baby cottontails in your yard, the best thing to do is to leave them be and enjoy their brief time of growth for the next couple of weeks because they will soon be old enough to venture out of the nest and will be gone. If the nest has already been or is in danger of being disturbed this is not a hopeless situation. Is your dog trying to get into the nest when you let her out during the day? Then try putting a milk crate, laundry basket or “breathable” container over the area during the day. Mom only comes by the nest to feed the babies at dusk and again at dawn so you can take the cover in with you at night and bring it back out first thing in the morning. Some people have also had good luck putting up a little garden fence or other type of barricade that the mother rabbit can fit through or under to get to the nest, but that their pets cannot get into. In any situation where a baby cottontail is injured always contact a rehabilitator to get them the care they need as soon as possible.



This basket-full of baby bunnies may be cute, but it is neither humane nor legal to try to keep them as pets. They need very specialized care if they are to stand a chance of surviving until they are big enough to be on their own.



Red foxes, are natural, native animals in this part of Wisconsin. They are also far enough along in their breeding season where many have young big enough to start venturing out of the den for the first time. Because they have such a persona about them, what most of the people we speak to don’t know is that they are very common animals in urban and suburban neighborhoods. These habitats have taken the place of many of the marshes, woods, and native grasslands that used to be home to these animals. As a result they have had to adapt in order to survive. In the case of the fox (among other animals including white tailed deer, raccoons, and squirrels) the less rural environments also provide a lot more resources which has made the transition much easier. Other than the rodents who are feasting underneath your bird feeder at night, the pears and apples falling from your neighbors tree, and the occasional sip out of someone’s fresh pond or nice clean pool, these animals would really rather not be in such close proximity to humans. This means that even if they are living underneath your neighbor’s shed, as long as they are given their space and you (as well as your pets) remain in yours any conflicts are unlikely.

If a fox is in your neighborhood and you are still concerned these are some of the things to keep in mind: If you have bird feeders, fallen fruit, pet food, food storage or any other potential food source in or around your yard, consider cleaning it up, changing it’s location away from the immediate area, or removing it altogether for a period of time. Less food means less reason for the foxes to venture into your yard. For those of us with pets, it is our responsibility to look out for them. Knowing that there is a fox in the neighborhood (because in many cases we don’t know) doesn’t increase their risk of being attacked. This is because statistics show that most attacks or injuries to domestic animals are more likely to occur through interaction with other domesticated animals versus a wild animal. Also, making noise whenever you go out, using a squirt gun filled with water, or putting flags or streamers in the yard periodically can all help to make your territory seem odd and scary therefore a place that no mother would want her young to visit.



Foxes, Coyotes and other predators often get a bad rap. These innocent little pups want nothing more than a nice mouse maybe with a fruit or vegetable on the side, a safe place to sleep and some occasional sunshine to bask in just like your family cat.

  If you have further questions always contact your nearest rehabilitator first. Even if someone from a local pet supply store is willing to sell you something to feed that cute baby bunny, it doesn't mean that you should. And even though your neighbor's father who grew up on a farm in Illinois tells you that every fox he saw growing up was rabid, it doesn't mean that these ones are.

Hope that helps, until next time...

The Fox and the Hedgehog

Okay, I fooled you, there are no hedgehogs in this post, but I’ve heard it’s a cute story. The real story starts with a phone call about a fox this morning and the picture that goes best with it is a rather unappealing one; you will see it below.

The caller lived in Southeastern Wisconsin, but had been at their lake home for the weekend. While there, they noticed a fox that appeared a bit rough and thin. Their neighbor remarked that it had been seen coming and going from the culvert under their driveway for a week or more.

The reality is that foxes have adapted well to urban life all across the country; whether it is City urban or Lake Home urban; and even in other countries. Since fall is inching its way closer the majority of fox kits have started out on their own and some of them struggle at first. What is also common in foxes in this area is mange.

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, “mange is a skin disease of mammals caused by a tissue-burrowing arthropod.” They go on to describe Sarcoptic mange, which is the kind commonly seen in foxes in Wisconsin, as being “characterized by thinning and loss of hair, thickening and wrinkling of the skin, and scab and crust formation.” Patients we’ve admitted obviously have thinning hair, but they will also commonly have sores that are scabbed over and smell terrible over much of their body. Mange is treatable, and we do so with a dual treatment both internally and externally. The unfortunate part of the disease is that the animals eventually become weak from an inability to hunt from the distraction and fighting the ongoing infection from the wounds on their bodies. This is usually the time that they are finally contained and brought to us for care and treatment. [This is evident in the photo above. To read about the happy ending this pitiful creature saw you’ll have to watch for a future post]

But what about his children? Foxes, and most wild animals for that matter, don’t want to have anything to do with humans or our pets. Aside from playful fox kits, they usually don’t want to expend any more energy than is necessary to procure their next meal. Since they are omnivorous, this could range from some berries under a mulberry tree to a mouse or an occasional cottontail, but rarely anything larger. Unless we interfere with their natural behaviors by trying to habituate them the average person will never have a bad experience with an animal like this. It is our responsibility as adults to teach children about wildlife and the world that surrounds us. This means encouraging respect, not fear, of our wild neighbors. It also means understanding that if we show them the respect they deserve, they will do the same in exchange. With development drawing more wildlife into urban areas it will benefit all of us if we learn this lesson.

Foxes Away!

The caller had a fox that had been “hanging around” his yard and wanted to know what could be done about it. What was really going on was that a fox had been passing through his yard several times a week throughout the past several months. Since this was not the time of year that there would possibly be pups or a den involved this is what I told him:

The reality is that foxes have adapted well to urban life all across the country and even in other parts of the world; coyotes, raccoons and skunks too. Since he had never witnessed the fox hunting in his own yard, nor had he noticed any signs of a den in the area it is most likely that two areas of this fox’s territory happened to fall on either side of this neighborhood.

But what about his dog and children? Foxes, and most wild animals for that matter, don’t want to have anything to do with humans or our pets. Aside from playful fox kits, they usually don’t want to expend any more energy than is necessary to procure their next meal. Since they are omnivorous, this could range from some berries under a mulberry tree to an occasional cottontail, but rarely anything larger. Unless we interfere with their natural behaviors by trying to habituate them or by taking risks that put vulnerable pets in tempting situations, the average person will never have a bad experience with an animal like this.

When incidents do occur between dogs or cats and wild animals it can turn out badly. We get hundreds of animals into the Center each year that have been rescued from the jaws of Fluffy or Fido. When larger animals are involved such as foxes, the situation usually involves a dog or cat trying to protect its own territory. This is why I always urge people to consider this fact with regards to their pets’ safety: if an animal is small enough that you would be concerned about an animal like a fox or a raccoon it shouldn’t be left alone, period. In my opinion, this also applies to every pet we take responsibility for. Additionally, cats who are let outside reportedly kill millions of songbirds each year regardless of how much they are fed. All pets will ultimately live longer, healthier lives if they are kept indoors or allowed outdoors only in safe, supervised situations. Most pet dogs and cats are more likely to have an incident with another dog or cat in their lifetime than with a wild animal that causes harm to them if we do our best to keep these guidelines in mind. While it is rare, there have been reports of foxes learning to live in harmony with outdoor cats and one gentleman even called to report that his dog had apparently befriended their local fox and he was having the hardest time trying to convince him to do otherwise!

As far as children go: it is our responsibility as adults to teach them respect for wildlife. This doesn’t mean that they should fear their wild neighbors. With development drawing more wildlife into the urban realm, now more than ever, we need to teach the kind of understanding that will help our children to protect the earth and all of its inhabitants into the future.

Most people will never be able to get close enough to a wild animal in a normal, respectful situation to be at risk of injury unless that animal is severely injured or ill. If a wild animal appears to be showing signs of being sick or injured, teach your children that the first thing to do is to go tell an adult. The best thing that adult can do is remove the children from the situation; then go back and assess the situation from a safe distance before or while they contact the Wildlife In Need Center or another wildlife specialist. These professionals can help to determine what may be at issue and whether or not action needs to be taken.