Maybe dressing as a furry can do some good after all? Wildlife rescuers in Virginia had to don a red fox mask to syringe-feed an orphaned kit in their care.
A video shared by the Richmond Wildlife Center was posted to Facebook and showed Executive Director Melissa Stanley wearing the red fox mask and rubber gloves to feed the kit. The baby animal had been brought to the center in early March 2024.
The center asked on social media for supplies including the purportedly realistic mask. “It’s important to make sure that the orphans that are raised in captivity do not become imprinted upon or habituated to humans,” the post said. “To prevent that, we minimize human sounds, create visual barriers, reduce handling, reduce multiple transfers amongst different facilities, and wear masks for the species.”
The center said rescuers have contacted another rehabilitation facility about fox kits that are around the same approximate age and weight. Officials are determining the best way for the female kit to be “with other foxes her own age.”