A rare black fox named Shadow has been tracked down and rescued after roaming the streets of Wales for two weeks.
Black Foxes UK began receiving numerous reports of an abandoned ‘silver fox’ on 8 April 2023 and have since have been hatching a plan to capture the creature, which is believed to have escaped from its owner after being privately kept as an exotic pet.
Now the animal rescuers have announced Shadow, which is a fox from a captive-bred line of North American red fox, was captured in Barry, Wales, on Monday.
In a Facebook post the rescue service revealed the good news, as they detailed how difficult the capture was to begin with.
‘We have received hundreds of calls and messages, and attempts to locate the owner were fruitless,’ the organisation said.
A rare black fox named Shadow has been tracked down and rescued after roaming the streets of Wales for two weeks. Black Foxes UK began receiving numerous reports of an abandoned ‘silver fox’ on April 8 and have since been hatching a plan to capture the creature, which escaped from its owner after being privately kept as an exotic pet
Now the animal rescuers have announced Shadow, which is a fox from a captive-bred line of North American red fox, was captured in Barry, Wales, on Monday 24 April
‘Due to stretched resources, the RSPCA were limited in their capacity to assist, asking members of the public to only call if the animal was injured. They were able to make an attempt to capture the fox several times but they were ultimately unsuccessful.
‘Black Foxes UK had also sought the assistance of the Local Authority animal warden and local cat rescue, Shua Trust Home and Sanctuary, who assisted with the capture of an escaped silver fox in Barry, Wales, in 2021. They were able to safely capture the fox [on] Monday 24th April 2023.’
They went on to say that the male fox, who appears to be around two years old, was named ‘Shadow’ by his rescuers.
While initial reports said Shadow had a leg injury, Black Foxes UK found that he appeared to be in good health.
Vets4Pets treated the fox in their Barry branch and he was ‘provided with the attention he required’.
The rescue service added: ‘Shadow is very confident around people and was clearly well-socialised prior to his escape. Black Foxes UK have found a secure home for him with Animals Interactive.
‘It is possible there may be a second fox, which is the fox with the injury, but this remains to be made clear. If this injured fox is seen, please contact the RSPCA emergency line on 0300 1234 999 and notify ourselves.’
They went on to thank the Local Authority Animal Warden and Shua Trust Home and Sanctuary for going ‘above and beyond’ to help provide emergency assistance for a ‘silver fox in need’.
‘The team at Shua is small and their workload is heavy, so if you would like to say thank you to the team for their remarkable compassion and dedication, please consider donating to the organisation and showing your support!’, the post read.
In a Facebook post the rescue service revealed the good news where they detailed how difficult the capture was to begin with. ‘We have received hundreds of calls and messages and attempts to locate the owner were fruitless,’ the organisation said
They went on to say that the male fox, who appears to be around two years old, was named ‘Shadow’ by his rescuers. While initial reports said Shadow had a leg injury, Black Foxes UK found that he appeared to be in good health. Vets4Pets treated the fox in their Barry branch and he was ‘provided with the attention he required’
The black creature, known as a silver fox, was spotted by several shocked onlookers in Barry, south Wales
The silver fox is believed to be the same animal that escaped in 2021 and was spotted outside the town’s Asda supermarket
When the fox was first spotted, Hayley De Ronde, who runs the website blackfoxes.co.uk, said owning and breeding the creatures needed to be regulated.
She said all sightings should be reported and urged witnesses not to approach the animals.
‘While some of these sightings will be of native wild foxes, some of the animals seen are that of escaped exotic pets in need of being located and returned home,’ Ms De Ronde noted.
The silver fox is believed to be the same animal that escaped in 2021 and was spotted outside the town’s Asda supermarket, and was one of two on the loose in 2018.
The animals are a subspecies of North American red foxes and have big bushy tails.