On January 26, the SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center took in an injured gray fox with a corrugated pipe stuck around his neck. The fox is currently recovering.
The fox was first seen in the Corral de Tierra area on January 11. Concerned neighbors set traps and posted alerts about the fox on social media to try to help him. Thankfully, early in the morning hours of January 26, the fox walked into a trap baited with syrup-soaked bread on Mesa del Toro.
“Thank you for taking care of the little fox,” says Claire Pendleton, who trapped the young fox and brought him to the SPCA Wildlife Center. “I have been working with neighbors daily to catch him and have lost a lot of sleep worrying about him.”
Skilled SPCA wildlife rescuers sedated the young male fox and carefully cut the corrugated pipe off his neck. The fox suffered multiple deep wounds around his neck from the pipe. We cleaned and applied ointment to the wounds, then took the fox to the Avian and Exotic Clinic of Monterey for surgery to deeply clean, debride and suture the wounds. He is now recovering at the SPCA Wildlife Center, receiving bandage changes, antibiotics, pain medication, healthy meals, and fluids.
Thankfully, the fox was in good weight and suffered no other injuries. He will recover at the SPCA Wildlife Center for at least the next few weeks until his wounds are fully healed.
Last year, the SPCA Wildlife Center rescued 2,863 injured or orphaned wild animals, all thanks to our community’s support. We are the only full-service wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center in Monterey County. We are an independent nonprofit organization and we are not a chapter of any other agency. Our rescues are made possible by the support of our donors.
