Here is Mira right after rescue and today. She is recovering nicely!
From Newhouse Wildlife Rescue:
The photo on the left was on the day Mira came in and the photo on the right is from this morning. She is still being treated for secondary rat poison exposure, but is healthy enough to be in an outdoor enclosure now.
Mira is short for “miracle.”
Red foxes are usually monogamous
From SAF:
Did you know that Red Foxes are usually monogamous? This means that once they find a mate, they will usually stay with that mate and have kits with the same mate every year.
This being said, a fox will sometimes have multiple mates, and sometimes even same-sex mates! We have examples of both scenarios here at our sanctuary.
While all our foxes are spayed and neutered, they still exhibit mate-bonding behavior.
They will usually only groom and members of their family unit. Their mate and their offspring or siblings while they are young.
Once foxes reach sexual maturity, they set off on their own to find their own family.
Meet Chaos!
From Werling Wildlife Rehabilitation:
Foxes are officially the chaos demons of the animal kingdom.
You are fast asleep. Suddenly, outside your window, it sounds like a Victorian ghost is being actively banished to the shadow realm. It's just your friendly neighborhood fox, who wanted to celebrate finding a fun new thing to steal. Left your shoes on the porch? They will take exactly one of your favorite sneakers and bury it under a bush three blocks away.
The most frustrating part about foxes causing problems is their facial expression. A dog looks guilty when it rips up a pillow. A fox looks like it just successfully audited your taxes and found a loophole that forces you to give them more chicken nuggets. They are entirely fueled by spite, fluff, and audacity.
Don't believe that smile: that's the look they give you right before they pounce on your face teeth-first.
And that is why our domestic red fox is named Chaos. We love him dearly... but then again, we thrive on chaos.
We do not recommend foxes as pets. They require special permits, inspections from state agencies, specialized diets, and a strong desire to have your things stolen, peed on, shredded, and buried.
Fox trotting aka non-violent fighting
"Fox trotting" during a fight is a non-violent ritual where two foxes stand on their hind legs, place their paws on each other's shoulders, and push back and forth with wide-open mouths to settle dominance or territorial disputes without getting hurt.