The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture is urging people to refrain from feeding or handling wild foxes, particularly in the Port aux Basques area and on Fogo Island, where Conservation Officers have been responding to reports of habituated foxes.

Feeding foxes or any other type of wildlife creates a public safety hazard and could result in animals being euthanized through no fault of their own. Wild animals can be dangerous and unpredictable when approached, and may carry transmissible diseases that could pose health and safety problems to people or pets. Wildlife survive best on food sources found in their natural habitat. Rather than helping them, giving wild animals human or pet food can negatively impact their health. When people provide wild animals with an easy food source, the animals lose their natural fear of humans and human activity. This also affects Conservation Officers’ efforts to capture and relocate the animals.

While the instinct to assist wild animals that appear to be hungry, newborn, orphaned, abandoned or injured is understandable, animals should be left undisturbed in their natural habitat where they belong. Conservation officers will only handle wildlife if there is a public safety concern or if circumstances warrant an animal’s removal. Anyone encountering an aggressive or nuisance wild animal is asked to report it to Forestry and Wildlife District offices located throughout the province.

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Media contact
Linda Skinner
Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
709-637-2284, 632-8167
lindaskinner@gov.nl.ca