MISSOULA — A concerned viewer contacted MTN about a family of foxes living close to humans, raising questions about their origins and the growing presence of foxes in the Missoula area.
Amanda Bielby and her dog Jovi walk the Milwaukee Trail every day, right by Loyola Sacred Heart High School's field, where the viewer said the foxes resided.
But there wasn't just one family; there were at least three.
"I remember coming here and only seeing one, then seeing two," Bielby said. "I was like, 'Oh, there's a handful of kits, and now there's 14."
Learn more about some of Missoula's fox families:
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Regional Nongame Wildlife Biologist Torrey Ritter said that while the population may seem large, it is quite normal for fox families.
"What a lot of people will see is family groups," Ritter said. "They den up in the spring, then have four to six pups and then those pups will stick around for three months or so."
The pups, now teens, are just a few feet away from one of Missoula’s busiest trails.
"I do see that we have a nice habitat that's fenced off for them, and they're obviously super happy," Bielby said.
Ritter assures the community that they are monitoring the local fox populations to keep them healthy and safe.
"Five calls a year with foxes, and most of the time it's people who will see a fox den nearby somewhere and they're just concerned about it," Ritter said. "They haven't had anything happen yet. They're just worried they're going to get in trouble or that they're going to come eat their cat or something like that. And again, it's a fairly rare occurrence."
Another family of foxes lives over at Fort Missoula, where Ritter said foxes have lived for decades.
"They're everywhere," Ritter said. "There's probably dozens of dens all around the greater Missoula area. Most of them stay out of trouble and only a few end up getting into trouble."
While public concern is prominent, he assures there’s no cause for alarm. Interactions with humans are typically not an issue, although livestock producers may think otherwise.
"Foxes that are getting into trouble with livestock or chickens are probably young ones that have just left their family group and are trying to make it on their own," Ritter said. "They haven't really learned yet that it's a bad idea to get mixed up with humans."
Loyola Sacred Heart High School, which uses the field where the foxes reside, plans on relocating the fox families with the help of a local trapper.
"We have every confidence that expert relocation will be best for the safety of our community and ensure that these amazing wild animals have the best chance at thriving in the wild," Principal Paul Richardson told MTN.
While the school is planning on relocating them off the field, Ritter said that relocation isn’t always the most effective option.
"You can't really do a lot of relocating because you often just move one problem animal to someone else's backyard," Ritter said. "Once they learn to go after human food, they're kind of like bears."
FWP cannot legally relocate them because they're a rabies vector, and with summer in full swing, Missoula Public Health is also encouraging residents to keep their distance from wildlife to help prevent rabies infections.
"If you can imagine the teeth of the infected animal, foaming at the mouth," said B-Rad Applegate, Missoula Public Health's Infectious Disease Specialist in Health Promotion. "Literally foaming with copies of the virus. All over the teeth. And when those teeth break the skin, the virus is already all over them, and boom — there it is."
Even though Applegate couldn't find any recorded rabies cases in foxes in recent years in Montana, he emphasized it’s better to be safe than sorry.
"If they come into contact with a possible exposure, they should call their local health department's infectious disease nurse. We'll love to have story time, hear all about what happened, ask some clarifying questions and go on and make a recommendation from there."
If there's the slightest chance you may have been bitten by an animal, Applegate said you should seek immediate help.
And remember, if you encounter a fox — be aware of your surroundings, keep your distance and always bring a good pair of boots.
