PORTLAND, Ore. — A young Arctic fox found wandering in a park in Portland, Oregon last month will move to her permanent home tomorrow.
She is temporarily staying at the Oregon Zoo until her departure. The zoo made the announcement Wednesday morning.
“She’s been very curious and interested in her surroundings,” said Kate Gilmore, who oversees the zoo’s ambassador animal area. “She spent the weekend hopping over logs, foraging for her diet and practicing being a fox! We’re glad we can provide care and enrichment for her until she’s ready for her next chapter.”
The fox was previously in the care of the Bird Alliance of Oregon, who has had the animal since she was discovered in mid-October.
Staff believe she was kept as a pet and dumped in the park. It is illegal to own Arctic foxes in most states, including Oregon and Washington.
The zoo says tomorrow, the fox will move to a new home at Ochsner Park Zoo in Baraboo, Wisconsin, joining a male fox named Apollo.
“It’s wonderful to see her thriving, but this fox should never have been a pet,” Gilmore said. “Like many wild animals that wind up in the illegal pet trade, arctic foxes have complex care needs that can only be met by people with specialized training at licensed and properly equipped facilities.”