Rescue team helps sick foxes get a second chance
By Matteo Iadonisi
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CAMDEN COUNTY, New Jersey (WPVI) — Luke Ogden and his team at ‘An Itch in Time – Mangy Fox Rescue’ trap and transport sick and injured foxes to permitted wildlife rehabilitators.
It started when Ogden discovered a fox afflicted with an illness known as ‘mange’ while working for a tree service.
Since then, he and his team have responded to nearly 100 foxes. Their goal is to transport them to wildlife rehabilitators such as Wildlife Aid Inc. or Cooper’s Fox Den. Then, they hope to release them back where they were captured.
It should be noted that treatment of foxes with sarcoptic mange is restricted to permitted wildlife rehabilitators in New Jersey.
According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, “It is illegal to possess wildlife in New Jersey without a permit. Injured, orphaned, or ill wildlife must be taken directly to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator and cannot be kept or cared for by any individual who does not possess a valid NJ wildlife rehabilitation permit.”
Foxes are wild animals and should not be treated or portrayed as pets. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection urges the general public not to leave food or medicine outside for foxes.
Anyone interested in getting involved with ‘An Itch in Time – Mangy Fox Rescue’ can visit their Facebook page.
Furthermore, anyone interested in getting involved with wildlife at large can join the Wildlife Conservation Corps (WCC) and take a capture and transport course at Red Creek Wildlife Center in Schuylkill Haven, PA. For more information, visit the NJDEP website.
The red fox is a rabies vector species (RVS) in New Jersey. Anyone attempting to work closely with them should receive the rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) vaccine.
For further questions, contact the Wildlife Permits Unit at NJWildlifePermits@dep.nj.gov.
If you have a concern about a wild animal in your area, contact your local officials.
Additional photographs for this piece were provided by Nicole Mazzitelli.
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