Our approach to wildlife

Often we are contacted by the public, and asked if we can help with wild foxes, and even other wildlife like raccoons and opossums. 

As a domestic fox sanctuary we are not licensed to care for wild born animals, only captive bred ones. 

That being said, we can still help! If the animal is in need of medical help, from a rehabber we can help you find a rehabber near you and get in contact with them. We recommend searching your area with ahnow.org or visiting your state wildlife department website, often they have lists of active licensed rehabbers in your state. 

if you are in Oklahoma you can find that list HERE...

If you are local to us, we can also sometimes help with transportation to a licensed rehabber. 

Can you relocate a wild fox? 

Often when we’re contacted, the fox doesn’t need medical intervention, but the finders believe that it is in danger or that it has become a nuisance to them in some way. In these cases, they may want someone to relocate the fox.

• Relocating wildlife to an unfamiliar area puts that individual under unnecessary stress and at risk for territorial disputes, disease, and inability to efficiently locate food, water, and shelter.
• Relocating wildlife to a new area may disrupt the existing population through territorial disputes, and/or introduction of disease or parasites.
• Trapping and relocation is not a long-term solution. Removing an individual from a territory without changing the available resources will only make that territory available for another individual.
• There are unlimited benefits to sharing our space with wildlife. Misunderstandings about the behavior of many species are often the reason for trapping and relocation.

Rehabbers and sanctuaries like ours are not able to relocate healthy wildlife. The best option in situations like this is to humanely deter the fox or other wildlife. But how can you deter them, so they move on, on their own?  

• Help parents move themselves and their babies out. Because wild animals pick the spots they do because they are warm, dark, and quiet, we can often convince them to move by making the location “not” those things. Change the sight, sound, and smell of the area.
  • Leave a talk radio station on 24 hours a day. Talk radio is a lot of human voices and is something most wild animals try to avoid.
  • Leave a light on, shine a spotlight, or place a strobe light in the area where the animal is nesting to encourage them to move on.
  • Place rags soaked in apple cider vinegar in jars or cans near the nesting area to help create an inhospitable environment.
• Repair access points. After an animal has moved, it’s important to repair all the areas where the animal was gaining access. Buried fencing, cement blocks, gravel, or hardware cloth help to discourage the re-digging of any holes. This prevents another animal from moving into the newly vacated spot.
• Remove attractants. Try to determine what is attracting the animal to the area and remove it.
• Don’t leave pet food outside overnight.
• Regularly rake and dispose of bird seed under feeders.
• Close and secure lids on garbage and compost piles.
• Control grubs in your yard to keep armadillos and skunks from digging for them.
• Remove brush piles or high grass areas that provide cover and hiding spots.
• Add deterrents and repellents. Try to make your property unattractive to wildlife you don’t want in your yard.
• Movement, lights, reflective surfaces, or predator decoys can scare animals away. These can be as simple as pie tins or reflective tape fluttering in the wind but need to be moved frequently to prevent animals from becoming accustomed to them.
• Sprinkling garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, or other pungent spices or oils can deter some species. Although they may need to be reapplied after rain or after a few weeks to maintain effectiveness. Peppermint oil or citronella around patios or gardens may also help deter rodents, rabbits, and insects. Never use moth balls – these are toxic to both animals and humans.
• Motion-activated sprinklers use water and motion, and sometimes sound, to scare animals from your yard.
• When you see unwanted wildlife in your yard, wave your arms, yell, or bang pans to chase them away if you don’t want them to become comfortable.
• Install barriers. Install fences and other barriers to keep wildlife from accessing your yard or sections of your property.
• Use fencing to limit their access to gardens, poultry, or denning sites beneath sheds, decks, and slabs. Burying fencing, cement blocks, gravel, or hardware cloth at least 12 inches or laying it horizontally across the ground will discourage digging animals such as skunks from excavating den sites or digging around other barriers.
• Make sure your chimney is capped.
• Electric fences as well as overhead and underground fencing and securing poultry at night are effective means of protecting backyard chickens, ducks, and other poultry.
• Aluminum flashing can protect trees and saplings from gnawing. Painting trees with a mixture of exterior latex and masonry sand is also effective at preventing gnawing damage to trees, docks, and other wooden structures.
• Let them stay. If the animals are not causing any damage, you may choose to let them stay until the young are old enough to leave. Denning and nesting season is relatively short, and once the family has vacated the location, you can make needed repairs to prevent animals from moving back in.

Prevention is always the easiest and most effective method for avoiding conflicts with wildlife. Prepare your home and yard now for the upcoming spring and summer baby season so you can peacefully coexist with your wild neighbors.

Huge shoutout to WildCare Oklahoma, for most of the advice from this article. Read their full article on trapping and relocating wildlife here: 

Follow and support WildCare Oklahoma here;

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