FoxTales Wildlife Rehab Programs
Photograph taken by Erik Brito Photography
*FoxTales Wildlife Rehab is not a wildlife petting zoo*
FoxTales regularly receives inquiries from the public requesting a tour of our rehab facility. FoxTales Wildlife Rehab is a rehabilitation center for wildlife. Our mission is to rescue injured, sick or orphaned wildlife; rehabilitate the animal; and then release the animal to live a free life. Human exposure is kept to a minimum, including exposure to the rehabber who is treating the wildlife. It is critical that wildlife retain their innate fear and suspicion of humans so that they can live the free life they were born to live.
Please do not contact FoxTales to request a facility tour or ask if we have animals available who you can interact with.
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Community Education
FoxTales Wildlife Rehab welcomes the opportunity to engage in community education. In the past, we have provided wildlife education to the Scouts of America and local school groups. Contact us if you are interested in a no-cost school or community group education event.
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Scouts of America
Contact FoxTales if your Scout group is interested in completing a wildlife or nature related badge. We can arrange for education and/or facility-related chores, (e.g., construction of squirrel nest boxes).
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Educational Material
FoxTales has an abundance of educational handouts on our Resources page. Feel free to download and share!
Mangy Fox Program
FoxTales Wildlife Rehab actively participates in helping our community with suspected mangy foxes.
We invested in 12 humane traps that we lend to the public when an actively sick fox has been visualized in their area. Once a fox with suspected mange has been seen in an area on multiple occasions, FoxTales will set up a trap on a resident’s private property as long as we have the public’s commitment to check the trap multiple times a day. This is critical to avoid unnecessary emotional and physical stress on the animal caught in the trap for a prolonged period.
Once we are advised that the sick fox has been trapped, FoxTales will come out to the property to evaluate the fox. If the fox is healthy enough (i.e., the mange is not in an advanced stage), we can medicate for the mange and release on the spot. If the mange is in an advanced stage or if the fox appears to have secondary infections, then we will transport the fox into care at our rehab facility.
Unless there is a specific circumstance that creates an unsafe condition, the rehabilitated fox will be returned to its home territory where it was captured. If the fox cannot be returned to its home territory due to unsafe conditions, FoxTales will find another safe location to release the healthy fox.
What can you do to help reduce the prevalence of mange?
It is well known that foxes eat dead or dying rodents as well as deer scraps left behind by hunters. It is also well known that the bait station poison and fragments from the lead bullets used to kill these animals remain in the animals. When the fox eats this easy meal, they also eat the poison/lead fragments. While the fox may not initially die from ingesting the poison/lead, it will get ill, similar to a human with food poisoning. During its illness, the fox is unable to groom itself, which is a primary defense against the mange mite. Without grooming, the mange mites get out of control and the result is a full-blown mange infection. Additionally, over time, the toxins build up and compromise the fox’s immune system, which again results in the fox being unable to fight off the mange mite.
Want to help?
Stop using rodenticides! Ask the businesses you frequent to stop using them. And talk to the hunters in your life…switch to lead-free ammo.
Release of one of the Fredericksburg mangy foxes on 12/26/24 taken by Erik Brito photography.