Post by albertamoose on Jan 21, 2006 22:58:09 GMT -5
Freaky fox nabs youth's ice-cap
Last updated Jan 20 2006 09:25 AM CST
CBC News
Foxes around Yellowknife, it seems, are getting comfortable with urban life– and have even started sipping on high-priced coffees.
Thousands of foxes roam the bush in the sub-arctic, but a growing number are appearing in the capital of the Northwest Territories. And they are beginning to lose their fear of humans.
15-year-old Jake Grayston was playing in his front yard Wednesday night when a fox approached and bit his soccer ball, right in front of him and some friends.
The animal did not lunge or act aggressively, but the teen's family, who have lived here for years, says they've never seen a fox act so boldly.
The animal wouldn't go away when chased, and Grayston says only stopped running when it spotted his iced cappuccino in the snow.
"I didn't know what to say," says Grayston. "It was on the ground there and he was licking at it. Kinda freaky."
Senior wildlife officer Raymond Bourget says he's also surprised at the animals brazen behavior.
"Normally a fox should be shy or afraid of people so when a fox approaches someone, something is wrong," he says. "Either it's become accustomed to people or it's rabid."
Bourget says people encourage such encounters by feeding the animals or leaving food around– including specialty coffees.
"They don't know the wild, they don't know the bush, all they know is city life," says Bourget. "They've learned from their parents how to go and get food from the garbage. They know where to go for hand outs and if they can't find any of that then they start taking cats and other small pets."
Bourget says the last reported fox bite in the N.W.T. was in Inuvik several years ago. He says people should not feed any type of wildlife.
Last updated Jan 20 2006 09:25 AM CST
CBC News
Foxes around Yellowknife, it seems, are getting comfortable with urban life– and have even started sipping on high-priced coffees.
Thousands of foxes roam the bush in the sub-arctic, but a growing number are appearing in the capital of the Northwest Territories. And they are beginning to lose their fear of humans.
15-year-old Jake Grayston was playing in his front yard Wednesday night when a fox approached and bit his soccer ball, right in front of him and some friends.
The animal did not lunge or act aggressively, but the teen's family, who have lived here for years, says they've never seen a fox act so boldly.
The animal wouldn't go away when chased, and Grayston says only stopped running when it spotted his iced cappuccino in the snow.
"I didn't know what to say," says Grayston. "It was on the ground there and he was licking at it. Kinda freaky."
Senior wildlife officer Raymond Bourget says he's also surprised at the animals brazen behavior.
"Normally a fox should be shy or afraid of people so when a fox approaches someone, something is wrong," he says. "Either it's become accustomed to people or it's rabid."
Bourget says people encourage such encounters by feeding the animals or leaving food around– including specialty coffees.
"They don't know the wild, they don't know the bush, all they know is city life," says Bourget. "They've learned from their parents how to go and get food from the garbage. They know where to go for hand outs and if they can't find any of that then they start taking cats and other small pets."
Bourget says the last reported fox bite in the N.W.T. was in Inuvik several years ago. He says people should not feed any type of wildlife.