Arctic fox found in Oregon: how she’s doing and what’s next

PORTLAND, Ore. — It’s been about a month since an Arctic fox was found wandering in a park in Portland, Oregon. The agency caring for her says she will never get to roam the Arctic tundra.

The Bird Alliance of Oregon provided an update on how the animal is doing, saying she “simultaneously stole and broke hearts when people learned her story.”

Because the fox has lived her whole life in captivity, she won’t be returned to the wild. The agency says she is in good health and the Oregon Department of Agriculture is working to find her a permanent home at an accredited facility.

Employees say she is very smart, loves to climb, and is food-motivated, like most canines.

“The first time we put her in a larger enclosed area for exercise and enrichment, she found and ate all 12 mice that were hidden (and stuffed inside other things) in less than five minutes,” the agency wrote online.

Employees believe the fox either escaped from captivity or was dumped at the park on purpose because the animal isn’t afraid of humans and approached them when rescued.

Arctic foxes are illegal to own in most states— including Oregon and Washington. They are typically found in areas north of the Arctic Circle, such as Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland.

An update on the fox’s next steps should be coming next week, according to the Bird Alliance of Oregon.

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