SANDS TWP. — There have been multiple sightings of what looks like a white fox in Marquette County. The animal has most recently been seen wandering around Crossroads in Sands Township. The Michigan DNR says that while this isn’t an exotic animal, it’s still one that you should use caution around.
“It is some type of hybrid fox. Likely crossed with some kind of arctic fox and I’m not sure the other fox, I haven’t had it in hand,” said Brian Roell, Wildlife Biologist, Michigan DNR. “This is the third one we’ve dealt with this summer.”
Brian Roell says that while no missing animal reports have been filed, they’re all considered to be ‘escaped pets.’
“The best thing folks can do is just you really shouldn’t trust it,” said Roell. “Even though it is a pet we don’t know it’s vaccination records. It certainly would be capable of inflicting a bit so don’t feed the animal.”
Crews are working to capture the animal and relocate it like they’ve done with one of them before.
“We actually secured a spot,” said Roell. “We can capture it but it does not belong in the wild it basically the best message there. It doesn’t understand how to hunt for itself and obviously given where it is there at the Crossroads, I’m worried about it getting hit by a vehicle so we really would like to get it captured and get it out of the wild.”
Roell says the gray and red fox is native to Michigan, and while it doesn’t fit in either of those categories, this is not an albino fox.
