Juliet has a small, private fox sanctuary in the Guildford area, caring for injured and ill foxes.
Juliet says: “My friends and I have rescued orphaned, sick and injured foxes locally when we’ve heard about them and done our best to treat and rehabilitate them back into the wild where they came from, as well as rearing and eventually releasing the orphans Cubs, in carefully selected and very carefully protected woodland gardens of fox-loving homeowners.”
Did you know these facts about Foxes?
- Foxes are technically canines; they have lots of dog characteristics.
- Within a pack, the Auntie’s, and the previous year’s Vixen siblings, take the role of providing food for Mums when they are supporting their cubs. They also babysit the cubs. A great family unit.
- Foxes don’t breed as rabbits do. They breed according to family groups, and only once a year; mating in Winter and giving birth in Spring.
- Foxes can live for about 2 years but can live beyond 14 years in captivity.
- In captivity, Foxes have been separated from their family groups due to injury or tragedy. But they are very in tune with the Foxes around them. They will often search for a more needy Fox with their food before eating it themselves. Sometimes Foxes in a sanctuary will be seen passing food through the fence to Foxes who are living in the wild.
- Foxes are attuned to the needs of other foxes and will notice when another one is in need.
- Foxes are incredibly playful.
- Foxes aren’t greedy and bury any excess food they don’t need to save for later.
- Some are shy, some are gregarious, and all show signs of affection with other Foxes.
Fox Cubs – Keep or re-wild?
Fox cubs are extremely cute, often looking like kittens or a Collie puppy. They have a distinctive white tip on their tail. Therefore, it is not uncommon for humans to find Fox cubs and take them home as pets.
Juliet advises that this is an unwise move as the Cubs won’t learn how to fend for themselves in the wild. They will start to Imprint* with humans which means they will actively seek out humans for comfort and companionship. Over time the Fox won’t be able to survive in the wild as it won’t have any predator awareness or be able to find its own food.
The other warning Juliet gives is that when the Fox becomes an adolescent, they are not an animal you would choose to share your house with. They turn into a ‘fireball’ of energy and will cause chaos in your house.
*Imprinting (when a fox becomes dependent on a human or a dog and starts to identify with them). If a fox needs humans to care for them by hand, for example, due to a spinal injury in a severe road traffic accident – they will start to Imprint. When they see you, they will hunker down, gaping open mouth, flash around their tales and squeal for you.
Juliet is currently fighting a legal battle with her local authority, who have served her with an Enforcement Notice telling her she needs to remove all the animals, and their enclosures within 2 months. Therefore, she is raising funds to pay for the legal fees of her current appeal against their decision and their timeframe, to give her time to move on animals where she can, and to fight to be able to continue to offer sanctuary to those that she can’t. You can donate here.
As soon as Juliet has got through her legal battle, she would like to start working towards setting up a formal charity in a safe and spacious woodland for the rescue and rehabilitation of Foxes, providing sanctuary in their time of need. But also, being able to offer education to schools and to the general public, providing volunteering and employment opportunities for Fox lovers.
Can you help Juliet?
- Can you donate to her GoFundMe campaign to raise legal fees?
- Do you own land which is safe for releasing fox cubs back into the wild?
- Do you have safe and spacious woodland in the Guildford area where Juliet could set up a formal charity and sanctuary for Foxes?
You can contact Juliet by email here.
