Thanks to the combined efforts of a Nichols, N.Y. family, a DEC officer and an area wildlife rehabilitation center, a heartwarming “gray-fox-family-reunion” took place during the week of Mother’s Day.
Nichols resident, Robert Seeley, explained that as he was drifting off to sleep one evening, he thought he heard an animal’s cry, and chalked it up to being an owl’s lament. A separate scratching noise that seemed to be coming from a gutter left him puzzled, though.
The next day, Seeley said he kept hearing that scratching sound so he investigated his gutters, but came up with nothing.
Not long after, and call it being in the right place at the right time, he was astonished to find a gray baby fox stuck inside a window well. Puzzle solved.
Pictured are baby gray fox out for some sun therapy on the deck of a home in Nichols, N.Y., and where the mother fox had made a den. Provided photo.
Seeley said he wasn’t sure what to do at first. With no sign of a mother at that point, he decided to carefully place a two-by-four inside the well, thinking that the baby might be able to climb out. Gray fox are known for their ability to climb trees, but this little one wasn’t quite ready for that.
Seeley then notified the Department of Environmental Conservation. A wildlife officer rescued the baby fox, called a kit, and transported it to the Wildlife Wishing Well of Ithaca. The non-profit rehabilitation center cares for injured, sick and orphaned animals while preparing them for release back into the wild.
Richard Wohlgemuth, of Wildlife Wishing Well, commented, “The baby fox was here for three days,” adding, “It was healthy and well-behaved when it got here.”
Pictured is a baby gray fox that had been transported from Nichols, N.Y. to Wildlife Wishing Well of Ithaca. Provided photo.
Back in Nichols, Seeley eventually found three little fox siblings under his back porch, which had become their den. He said he never fed them, and watched them play with each other and even play with dog toys that they had recovered from under the porch.
Seeley soon got a glimpse of the mother, and watched her go into the den.
He then notified Wildlife Wishing Well about the mother sighting and arranged to pick up the kit so that it could be reunited with its family. And it didn’t take long. Seeley said as soon as he opened the carrier, the baby fox was off and running into the den. It was a Mother’s Day story with a happy ending.
Wohlgemuth said, “If you find a wild baby animal, the best thing to do is to notify an organization such as ours and talk to a Rehab Specialist about the best plan,” adding, “DEC is also a point of contact, and especially where a concern of rabies is involved.”
Pictured is a mother gray fox and her kits at a home in Nichols, N.Y. The homeowner helped one baby fox reunite with its family. Provided photo.
Wohlgemuth shared that Wildlife Wishing Well services 53 of the 62 counties in the state and is the closest facility for Tioga County residents who encounter raccoons, skunks, coyotes or fox. There are other resources for bats, squirrel, possum and more.
Wohlgemuth commented that Wildlife Wishing Well has, on average, about 11 state-licensed volunteers who work at the facility. Volunteers help care for hundreds of animals every year, and depending on the season, bottle-feeding baby raccoons every three hours are just some of the duties.
Wohlgemuth remarked, “Thank you to the DEC for looking out for our local wildlife, and thank you to the family (Seeley) who were gracious enough to let the foxes continue to live under their porch.”
Wildlife Wishing Well added, “Humans and wildlife can live together in harmony, and this is a great example of “Love Your Neighbors.”
Seeley said that he wanted this story to focus on raising awareness about what to do if you find yourself in a similar situation, and to consider giving financial support to wildlife rehabilitation organizations.
For additional information, you can find Wildlife Wishing Well on Facebook. The DEC’s recommendations regarding abandoned animals can be found online at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/261.html.
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