Andrew Lashinski (left) and Jaret Baker did their best to rescue this injured red fox. They hoped it could be rehabilitated, but Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation found that its injuries were too severe.
Despite the valiant rescue efforts of two local high schoolers, a red fox died on Wednesday, May 4 at Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation in Duluth.
Jaret Baker and Andrew Lashinski had hopes that the little red fox they found lying on Blueberry Road off the Gunflint Trail would survive. The young men discovered the fox while searching for moose antler sheds on May 1. At first they thought the fox was already dead, said Baker.
“We figured we’d just look at it,” he said, “and he looked up at us.”
The young men wanted to help the fox, but knew it might bite, so Jaret took a stick and gently petted the animal. Wearing gloves, he was eventually able to pet the animal. They squirted some water into its mouth.
They covered its head with a towel and were then able to carefully bundle it up and get it into Jaret’s truck. They took it to the Sutton home in Grand Marais. Overnight the family was able to feed the fox a tiny bit of hamburger and it drank a bottle of water.
After a half dozen calls to find someone to help the injured animal, they contacted Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation, which agreed to accept the fox if a way could be found to get it to Duluth. Finally it was agreed that Linden Sutton would meet the wildlife rehabilitators in Silver Bay to deliver the red fox, along with an injured mallard.
When the staff at Wildwood got a closer look at the male red fox, they thought they knew why it was so sickly. They believed it was one of last year’s kits. It had lost part of its right leg, likely from being caught and escaping from a foothold trap. The loss of its leg likely made hunting very difficult, which led to its extreme emaciation.
On May 2, rehabilitators were still hopeful. The wildlife center began feeding the fox an easy-to-digest diet made specifically for debilitated carnivores—which the starved animal eagerly guzzled down. The fox needed some additional tests, but the Wildwoods staff planned to start looking for a placement for the fox as an education animal, as he would never be releasable to the wild.
On May 4, the young men got bad news. After a comprehensive vet check, it was determined that not only had the red fox lost part of its leg in a trap, it had probably been hit by a car recently, leaving it paralyzed on one side. With only one functioning leg remaining, the fox would never walk and would likely never be free from pain. The Wildwood staff said a gentle release was sadly the kindest choice.
Knowing this, the News-Herald asked Baker if he regreted trying to save the fox. He said absolutely not. “It’s not fair to just leave him lying there.”
Baker said he wished the outcome had been better. “If he wasn’t paralyzed, he would have been an education animal—I was hoping to get to see him again.”
In the final post about the rescued red fox, Wildwood staff wrote, “We are so grateful to those who went far out of their ways to save him and help him get to us. We are glad we could send him on his final journey with a full belly, love, and kindness. RIP, little red fox. We will never forget you.”
For more information about Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation, find them on Facebook or visit their website at www.wildwoodsrehab.org.
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