A reprieve for foxes in Boca Raton
July 22nd, 2009 by admin
Last week ARFF learned that the Whitehall South Condominium Association in Boca Raton had hired a trapper to capture and kill foxes spotted on the property (Florida law prohibits the relocation of most trapped wildlife). The trapper was called in following an incident in Boca Raton in which a fox, later determined to be rabid, bit people walking on the beach.
As word spread of the trapping, many people called the condo association and expressed their objection to the killing of foxes. Although the association’s concern about rabies was understandable, callers argued that killing a few foxes was unlikely to make human residents any safer, and would cause unnecessary suffering for their wild neighbors. Callers also noted that the diet of foxes consists mostly of mice and rats, so removing foxes could cause other problems.
Good news! Yesterday, the traps were removed and the association agreed to work with a local wildlife control company committed to resolving conflicts using nonlethal means. Thank you to everyone who called and spoke up in defense of the foxes. Your calls made a difference! (Before the traps were removed, one fox was stuck in a trap for over 24 hours without any water before being released by a good Samaritan.)
Foxes- both red foxes and the smaller gray fox- can be found throughout Florida. Like raccoons, opossums and coyotes, foxes have adapted well to urban environments. Although foxes, as with all wildlife, can sometimes pose unwelcome challenges, there are always humane methods of resolving conflicts effectively. Please contact ARFF if you learn of plans to trap foxes or other animals.