Rare ‘mythological creature’ — an abandoned pet — rescued from Welsh countryside
Wandering around a town in Wales, an unusual fluffy creature drew a lot of attention. Rescuers spent weeks trying to capture the animal. They finally succeeded.
The rare black fox was first spotted around the Vale of Glamorgan on April 8, the organization Black Foxes U.K. said in an April 25 news release. Black foxes, also known as silver foxes, are an uncommon sight in the U.K.
The animals are “something of a mythological creature,” according to the organization’s website. Sightings of black foxes are either “escaped exotic pets” which need to be returned or “native wild foxes.”
The black fox was seen walking across a yard and approaching a chicken coop in a TikTok video shared by The Independent on April 19. The surprised — but unharmed — chickens clucked at the fox who continued walking through the yard.
A local cat rescue, the Shua Trust Home and Sanctuary, finally captured the elusive fox Monday, April 24, the release said. Video shows the fox looking around and eventually climbing into a cage trap.
Rescuers named the 2-year-old male fox “Shadow,” likely for its coloring and elusiveness.
“Shadow is very confident around people and was clearly well-socialized prior to his escape,” Black Foxes U.K. said, indicating the fox was “an abandoned” pet.
Shadow was taken to a local clinic, Vets4Pets, that determined he was in good health. He will soon go to a new home at Animals Interactive, a center specializing in animal therapy and education, according to the release.
The animal welfare organization RSPCA previously told ITV that pet “foxes are wild animals with very specific needs that are no different to those of foxes living in the wild and they require specialist care.”
“Even the most experienced fox experts have had difficulty keeping adult foxes successfully. Therefore, the RSPCA does not advise or condone keeping foxes as pets,” the organization told the outlet.
The Vale of Glamorgan is about 165 miles west of London.
This story was originally published April 27, 2023 at 8:03 AM with the headline "Rare ‘mythological creature’ — an abandoned pet — rescued from Welsh countryside."
