The all-white mystery fox spotted last week near the Sellwood Bridge in Southwest Portland is now safe at a local wildlife center, awaiting her next move.
The Bird Alliance of Oregon said a rescuer brought the small fox into the organization’s wildlife rehabilitation hospital on Saturday after the fox approached the person at Willamette Park, about a mile north of the bridge.
The wildlife center staff immediately realized the animal was an arctic fox, a breed not typically seen in Oregon. Its native habitat includes Alaska, Canada, islands in the Bering Sea, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard and northern Russia.
After performing an examination of the fox under anesthesia, the wildlife center determined the fox was a juvenile female that likely has reached its adult size. Arctic foxes are much smaller than other fox species.
Though the fox was thin and dehydrated, weighing in at 6 ½ pounds, she was otherwise in good health, the center said. She is receiving food and fluids to restore her energy.
Though it’s still unclear how the animal showed up on Portland’s streets, the fox was likely a pet that has known only life in captivity, said the center’s manager, Ashley Lema.
That’s the assumption because the fox approached humans on her own and doesn’t show a species-appropriate fear response to people, Lema said.
The fox was originally spotted near the Sellwood Bridge on Wednesday.
“We believe the fox either accidentally escaped from captivity or was intentionally dumped by the people who illegally held her,” she said. “After a few days of being on the loose, the fox was desperate enough and approached a person for help, as it’s likely that humans have provided her food her whole life.”
Because the arctic fox is considered an exotic species in Oregon, it’s illegal to keep them as a pet – unless the owner has a license through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That means even if the fox’s owners were to come forward, they likely couldn’t have her back.
Lema said the fox can’t be released into the wild now because she lacks hunting and other skills to survive on her own.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is working to determine where the fox’s next home will be. Most likely, she will end up at a zoo or a wildlife sanctuary, Bird Alliance officials said.
Lema said the fox’s woes are a good reminder that keeping exotic animals isn’t a good idea.
“Unfortunately this arctic fox’s story is all too common,” Lema said. “Wild animals aren’t pets and treating them like domestic animals isn’t just dangerous for people but it’s often a death sentence for wildlife.”
The wildlife center asked anyone with information about the fox’s owners to contact state wildlife officials or the wildlife center hotline at 503-292-0304. Multnomah County residents can also report exotic pets by calling (503) 988-7387.
©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
