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| A Tale of Two Foxes by Josie P. Katz 
It was one of those typical days we all have, filled with commitments for work and family,
with little time for anything else. Helping a wild animal was the last thing I expected -
even a minor deviation can throw off my entire day’s schedule -- but the sight of
this poor creature was so heartbreaking and shocking that I froze in disbelief and
completely forgot about everything else I had to do. Before me was an animal whose
appearance had been so horribly deformed that it was difficult to even tell what species
it was. His fur was completely gone, his skin rough and scabby, one eye was swollen and
almost completely shut. He hobbled along slowly on three legs, seemingly in terrible
agony. In that brief moment I forgot all about the things that seemed so important only a
few moments ago and returned to the house to find someone to call for help. |
 From a previously bad experience with animal control I knew not to contact
them, so I did a computer search for “wildlife rescue” in the hopes of finding
someone experienced with wildlife. It didn’t take many phone calls before I found
someone who suggested a wildlife rescue organization called Wild Bunch Wildlife
Rehabilitation. Knowing the sad state of the animal meant there probably wasn’t much
time, I was relieved to speak with one of the volunteers, Erika Ury, as soon as I called.
She told me that the creature was most likely a fox suffering from mange, an agonizing
disease brought on by parasites that slowly kills the animal over time. She also said
there was hope if I was willing to pick up some medicine and invest a little time over the
next couple of weeks. Well, I thought, time is the thing I can least afford to lose, but I
knew I would never forgive myself if I didn’t do something to help. |
 Less than an hour later I arrived at Erika’s house. Upon entering my
attention was immediately drawn to a baby raccoon in a small box in her living room. It
was so tiny and fragile, but at the same time looked warm and content, as if it knew it
was in a safe place. In another part of the room was a larger box, the occupant of which I
never saw, but who I learned had also been rescued and was being cared for until well
enough to release. It was comforting to see that there were people who care enough to
devote their time to helping injured animals, and as I stood there gazing at the tiny
raccoon I felt an even stronger sense of urgency to return home and begin helping the fox.After a short lesson from Erika, I hurried home with medication in hand, stopping only to purchase some chicken legs at my neighborhood grocery store. Following the directions, I injected the medication into one of the chicken legs and then sat at my window, waiting for the fox to reappear. After what seemed an eternity (but was probably only 20 or 30 minutes!) I saw him limping along slowly, searching for food and stopping in patches of sunlight to warm himself. What does he do at night to keep warm? I wondered; he must be freezing without any fur! |
| Quietly I slipped out my back door and threw the chicken leg near the fox, close
enough for him to smell it, but far enough so the noise wouldn’t startle or scare him
away. I returned inside and sat at my window, watching as the fox limped aimlessly in a
desperate search for food, praying that he would find it before someone came along and
scared him away. This endless search seemed to go on forever, and was incredibly
frustrating to watch. Why can’t he smell it? I wondered. How can he ever get better
if he can't find food and get the medicine he needs? I felt an overwhelming sense of
desperation and was really beginning to worry. Suddenly, the fox picked up the scent, and I could see a marked change in his demeanor as he suddenly seemed more alert and almost excited! To my great relief, he found the chicken leg, grabbing it voraciously in his mouth and limping off quickly into the woods to enjoy his find. It was a relief to know he got his medicine, but I knew he must be half-starved as well, so I decided I’d better throw out a few more chicken legs (figuring that at least he’d be able to concentrate on getting well and not have to worry about finding any food for the rest of the day). I was thrilled to see that he returned and gobbled those up as well! |
 Words cannot begin to describe how wonderful I felt to help this poor creature,
but I knew my job wasn’t over. For the next several weeks I kept watch and made sure
the fox got the food he needed to survive, as well as more medicine at the prescribed
two-week interval. Little by little, the fox’s fur began to grow back, the mange
around his eye cleared, and it slowly began to open. He even started walking on his lame
leg -- slowly at first, and then recovering to the point where I couldn’t even tell
which leg had been affected! As the fox recovered and was able to hunt more at night, I
began to see less and less of him during the day, until eventually he only appeared after
dark. Two months later, he was a completely different animal (hence the title of the
story) - his fur had completely grown back and he looked healthy and strong! I knew the
fox was well enough to take care of himself and my help was no longer needed, and I felt
really good about what I had done. But I also knew it was only a matter of time before
another injured animal came my way and I would need to step up again… |
| Some people may view wild animals as a nuisance, but I’ve developed a tremendous amount of respect for any creature that must survive on its own, keep warm in frigid temperatures and live in inhospitable environments which offer little shelter or food. When one considers all the over-development and shrinking natural habitats in our area, it’s a miracle these animals are able to survive at all! I realize now that our behavior is responsible for much of the suffering animals go through, and for that alone they deserve our respect and help whenever needed. Thank goodness there are caring and generous people in the world like those at Wild Bunch, and I for one intend to do my part from now on! |
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