Sly foxes have proved over and over again that they can adapt to the most-unlikely environments; for example, there are supposedly more foxes in the Greater London urban areas than there are in the rest of the country put together – in some areas their numbers have reached almost epidemic proportions.
The red fox originated in Eurasia during the Middle Pleistocene at least 400,000 years ago, and later colonised North America sometime prior to 130,000 years ago. Among the true foxes, the red fox represents a more progressive form. Apart from its large size, the red fox is distinguished from other fox species by its ability to adapt quickly to new environments. Forty-five subspecies are currently recognized, which are divided into two categories: the large northern foxes and the small, basal southern grey desert foxes of Asia and North Africa.
The species has a long history of association with humans. It has been extensively hunted as a pest and furbearer for many centuries, and is represented in human folklore and mythology. Due to its widespread distribution and large population, the red fox is one of the most important fur-bearing animals harvested for the fur trade. Too small to pose a significant threat to humans, it has greatly benefited from the presence of human habitation, and has successfully colonised many suburban and urban areas. The domestication of the red fox is also underway in Russia, and has resulted in the domesticated silver fox.
As if the red fox was not as ubiquitous as it is, as a result of its obvious ability of adapt to new situations, the fox in this story has taken that adaptive ability to a whole new level.
This new ability is explained by the title of a recent article; “Sly fox sneaks on to cargo ship in Southampton and arrives in New York”. A spokesperson for Associated British Ports (ABP) Southampton said: “The Port of Southampton handles everything from cars to containers to cruises, but even we were surprised to find a fox had booked itself a transatlantic crossing. “Clearly it fancied swapping the Solent for the Staten Island Ferry. Though next time we’d recommend it considers the “Queen Mary 2”, which offers the Southampton to New York route with considerably more comfort!” (You have to love the official’s sense of humour).
The fox in question sneaked onto a cargo ship in Southampton and successfully made its way thousands of miles across the Atlantic, and is now in the care of the Bronx Zoo in New York. It is not clear how the animal managed to gain access to the ship while it was docked at the English port city.
The zoo said that the fox – a two-year-old male weighing roughly 11lb (5kg) – is currently in the Animal Health Center with animal and veterinary teams. “Once the veterinary team determines that the fox is healthy, the zoo will work with wildlife experts to identify an appropriate long-term home for the animal,” the zoo said in a press release.
The fox was detected among the ship’s cargo by U.S. officials at the Port of New York and New Jersey, and was brought to the Bronx Zoo on 19 February – last month. The zoo said initial examinations suggested the fox appeared to be in good health, and that additional results from a separate routine health screening were pending. “He seems to be settling in well,” Keith Lovett, the zoo’s director of animal programmes, told the Associated Press. “He’s gone through a lot.”
The story brings new meaning to the phrase …. Animal Tourism!! …. And perhaps tourist boards should take note of a new potential opportunity!
