Spotsylvania Bus Drivers Help a Sick Fox Catch a Ride Back to Health

Several Spotsylvania County Public Schools (SCPS) bus drivers noticed a regular visitor with a shabby coat. The team saw a fox that seemed to be missing a lot of fur and sent a video to FoxTales Wildlife Rehab. CEO and Founder Elizabeth Negron said the video confirmed the fox was in moderately bad condition, so her team helped set up a trap and coordinated with the transportation crew to make sure the trap was checked regularly. 

After weeks of waiting, the Spotsylvania bus team let Negron know the fox was trapped around 7 a.m. on Nov. 18. She had just finished a 12-hour overnight shift as a hospital imaging technician and drove straight to the trap by 9 a.m.  Spotsylvania County Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment.

Negron said the fox had a decent amount of hair loss and scabbing, with sores around its hip. It was also slightly underweight. The fox received prescription medication to treat the mange and wound care for its scabs and sores. Negron expects the fox to be released within two to three weeks of care once its weight is more appropriate.

Negron said one of the biggest challenges in rescuing injured wildlife is the actual capture. Wild animals don’t trust new elements in their environment, so a large trap can make them nervous. In some cases, she said, it can take weeks for a fox to trust a trap enough to enter it, usually from desperation and hunger. Sometimes, that delay can worsen the animal’s condition – the mange can create secondary infections. In more severe cases, they find that if the fox can be treated and survives the first 48 hours in care, its chances of survival increase dramatically.

Negron said she’s never had a healthy fox enter a trap. 

FoxTales Wildlife Rehab is a 501(3)(c) non-profit located in Midland, Virginia. The organization was founded in 2023, but Negron has been helping care for wildlife for over 20 years since she was 13 years old. Negron is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator – in Virginia, it is illegal to handle wildlife, although Good Samaritan laws do allow the capture of orphaned, injured, or sick wildlife to take it directly to a wildlife veterinarian or rehabilitator.

Negron is also licensed to handle Rabies Vector Species (RVS), which are animals that may have a higher chance of contracting rabies. RVS include raccoons, foxes, and skunks.

When wildlife comes into FoxTales, Negron explained she will “keep contact with the animals to an absolute minimum.” Aside from feeding, cleaning, and quick exams twice a day, the goal is to keep the animal as wild as possible and not create a relationship between humans and food.

Negron warned “we never want the public to handle the wildlife without proper protection nd training. Hurt wildlife can be unrpredictable, and even if they appear to be injured…[if they feel trapped] they will try to fight for their lives.”

FoxTales is always in need of volunteers, who must be permitted by the state. The permit requires education hours and rabies vaccinations. For supporters who cannot volunteer, the group’s website lists ways to donate. Negron said the organization is not funded by state or government agencies, and instead relies on donations and self-funding to care for the animals.