Hi! My name is Ranger!

I came to FoxTales Wildlife Rehab in March 2025 and WOW do I have quite a story to tell!

I was found in a park with a dog collar around my neck that was so tight that my rescuers had to cut it off! After I spent some time with a couple of wildlife rehabbers, I was sent to another rehabber to see if I could “wild up.” That means that the rehabber would try to see if I could be less tame and more wild. They were hoping I could be released into the wild, but only if I could show that I could survive on my own.

While I was with the rehabber, not only did I never figure out how to take care of myself, but the rehabber also noticed that I was struggling to move around. And, I couldn’t climb trees at all! Now that is really weird because we raccoons LOVE TO CLIMB and we are pretty darn good at it. Not only are we capable of navigating all kinds of terrains, but we can also swim and run. I couldn’t run at all! They did some tests on me and guess what? It turns out that the reason why I can’t climb and why I struggle to move around is because I have a metabolic bone disease. What is that? Well, my diet was poor when I was young, which lead to abnormal calcium, vitamin D3 and phosphorus levels while I was growing. The damage to my body structure is permanent. Not only will I never be able to climb, but the way I walk around is soooo wonky that I wobble and lose my balance just moving about normal ground.

Enter FoxTales Wildlife Rehab!!!

When FoxTales was contacted in the hopes that I could find a permanent home, they jumped at the opportunity to take me in. In fact, FoxTales had been hoping to have a wildlife ambassador just like me - who could teach the public about wildlife. What a perfect match! And so I came to my forever home in March 2025 and have been making myself comfortable. While my metabolic bone disease will never be cured, FoxTales set me up with the coolest living space! Room to explore…interesting things to enrich my days that are physically located at my climbing level…and opportunities to meet (and educate) the public.

Make sure you follow FoxTales on Facebook and check out the FoxTales EVENTS page for opportunities to meet me. I will start making public appearances in the spring 2025.

I hope I get to meet you soon at one of the upcoming FoxTales educational or fundraising events!

And, please remember…

NEVER TRY TO TAKE CARE OF A WILD ANIMAL ON YOUR OWN. ALWAYS CALL A REHABBER!