Rita the fox

Earlier this week someone shared a photo of a poorly fox on an Aberdeen Facebook group. Her tail is missing all its fur and part of her back is also looking raw. She is suffering from mange which is easily treated with a tablet.

We’re lucky in the UK to have the Fox Angels Foundation who will post medication for mange provided you have an established feeding pattern with the fox and can guarantee the fox will eat it themselves. With this in mind, three of us set up a plan this week to regularly feed the fox who we have now named Rita after Rita Hayworth.

The first night we went out Rita appeared right behind us just as we were getting ready to set up some food. She is tiny and looks like she may have cubs to feed.

Last night we went back at the same time but she didn’t appear so I left food along with a wildlife camera and ran back this morning to see if she’d visited. She came for the food almost right after we left so we only just missed her.

I left the camera out the first night too just to get a feel for the times she may show up and much to my surprise a second fox appeared at 5am with a dead duck. We think this may be her mate. Fortunately he looks healthy.