When the farmer saw the baby fox in his field, he went to his neighbor’s house to borrow their gun so he could shoot the animal. Luckily for the fox, the neighbor wasn’t home, so the farmer called a local rescue group to remove the fox instead.
European red foxes were introduced in Australia in the mid-1800s, and they’re now considered a “pest” as they’re responsible for killing a host of native wildlife. Instead of humanely removing foxes, the Australian government enacted a threat abatement plan, which includes baiting and shooting programs. The government also encourages individuals to kill any foxes they encounter on their private properties.
The baby fox in the field, however, got a second chance at life with Sydney Fox Rescue, a non-governmental organization that rescues and rehomes baby foxes, called “kits.” Sydney Fox Rescue will neuter, vaccinate and microchip the foxes, then keep them in special enclosures, and never release them back into the wild. When the baby fox — named Willa — arrived, the team at Sydney Fox Rescue treated him for tick paralysis, then re-homed him and another kit, Athena, at Sugarshine Sanctuary, an animal haven in northern New South Wales, Australia.
Read more at the Dodo
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