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Mother and child reunion: Fox family reunited after DC rescue
Home » Washington, DC News » Mother and child reunion:…
Mother and child reunion: Fox family reunited after DC rescue
By Rick Massimo
April 12, 2019 1:25 pm
Animal control officers pulled off a daring — yet also adorable — wildlife rescue in D.C. Thursday night. ... The Humane Rescue Alliance got a call about two fox babies, known as kits, who were stuck in a basement window well in Northwest, and “they weren’t making it out,” Dan D’Eramo, the director of field services, told WTOP.
When animal control officer Ryan Jesien showed up, he estimated the kits were about 6 weeks old. That’s about the age “where we would expect them to be sort of stumbling around and exploring and seeing the world for the first time out of the den,” D’Eramo said, “so it’s also not a surprise that they fell into a window well.”
Jesien wrapped the kits up in towels — they weighed 4 to 5 pounds, about the size of puppies — took them from the window well and put them on the grass. He checked them out briefly to see whether they were healthy enough to be released; as soon as he did, they ran off into a wooded area. ... Waiting for them was an adult female fox, presumably the kits’ mother. “They ran right up to her, and off into the woods,” D’Eramo said.
....
“There is a lot of wildlife that is naturally occurring in D.C.,” D’Eramo said. With a call to the alliance, you can find out whether you’re seeing a situation that requires intervention or “you’re lucky enough to just be seeing wildlife doing its wild thing out in the city.” ... The number to call is 202-576-6664.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.
© 2019 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
Mother and child reunion: Fox family reunited after DC rescue
By Rick Massimo
April 12, 2019 1:25 pm
Animal control officers pulled off a daring — yet also adorable — wildlife rescue in D.C. Thursday night. ... The Humane Rescue Alliance got a call about two fox babies, known as kits, who were stuck in a basement window well in Northwest, and “they weren’t making it out,” Dan D’Eramo, the director of field services, told WTOP.
When animal control officer Ryan Jesien showed up, he estimated the kits were about 6 weeks old. That’s about the age “where we would expect them to be sort of stumbling around and exploring and seeing the world for the first time out of the den,” D’Eramo said, “so it’s also not a surprise that they fell into a window well.”
Jesien wrapped the kits up in towels — they weighed 4 to 5 pounds, about the size of puppies — took them from the window well and put them on the grass. He checked them out briefly to see whether they were healthy enough to be released; as soon as he did, they ran off into a wooded area. ... Waiting for them was an adult female fox, presumably the kits’ mother. “They ran right up to her, and off into the woods,” D’Eramo said.
....
“There is a lot of wildlife that is naturally occurring in D.C.,” D’Eramo said. With a call to the alliance, you can find out whether you’re seeing a situation that requires intervention or “you’re lucky enough to just be seeing wildlife doing its wild thing out in the city.” ... The number to call is 202-576-6664.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.
© 2019 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
LOCAL
Family reunion | 2 fox kits rescued, reunite with mom
The mom fox watched nearby as the kits were rescued.
Author: Madisson Haynes
Published: 2:06 PM EDT April 12, 2019
Updated: 2:07 PM EDT April 12, 2019
WASHINGTON — Two fox kits were rescued and reunited with their mom after being trapped in a basement window well in Northwest, D.C.
According to the Humane Rescue Alliance, they received a call from a man who'd previously observed a healthy, pregnant fox in his backyard over the course of a few weeks. When he returned from vacation, he discovered the two fox kits stuck in the window well, yelping for help.
An animal control officer rescued the kits.
Humane Rescue Alliance
HRA received the call and dispatched Animal Control Officer Jesien, who saw the trapped fox kits. They appeared to be six weeks old, "consistent with the developmental stage of initial ventures away from their mother/den areas and early attempts at hunting prey," the press release said.
Jesien wrapped both kits in towels and removed them from the window well. Once he placed them in the grass, they ran off toward a forest area, "demonstrating excellent maneuverability and speed," the release said.
According to the release, Jesien looked toward the tree line using his flashlight and saw an adult female fox, the mom, who appeared to be watching the rescue of her kits.
