A red fox that managed to sneak onto a cargo ship before it set off from the English port of Southampton, managed to successfully avoid detection on the 14-day crossing before finally being discovered by US officials at the port of New York and New Jersey.
With typical cunning, the animal – which is thought to be around two-years-old – was able to remain hidden from the crew of the vessel that was heavily laden with auto-mobiles throughout the 3,400 mile journey across open ocean.
Port officers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found the fox during routine inspections of the cargo – minus its boarding pass! How he boarded remains unknown, and officials are still awaiting details from agencies involved in the inspection process.
The stow-away was in surprisingly good health having endured the Atlantic crossing. He weighed around 11 pounds (5kg), normal for a young adult male red fox, suggesting it hadn’t suffered any severe malnutrition. Experts attribute that to his natural resilience, hardiness and stress tolerance.
Red foxes are well-known for their adaptability and opportunistic feeding habits – they are omnivores and scavengers meaning that they can survive on very little and will eat almost anything available: scraps, insects, produce, or even small rodents that might also be aboard. Crew members could even unknowingly provided food sources themselves.
The species also have low water needs, being able to go long periods with minimal water, getting moisture from various food sources. Surviving in a confined, unfamiliar environment which although stressful, would be perfectly within the animal’s capabilities, using its ability to squeeze into tight spaces, and utilising the shelter available within the ship’s large cargo area, where there would have been plenty of dark, enclosed spaces for a fox to hide, stay warm, and avoid detection.
The discovery prompted a coordinated response involving agriculture specialists, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to ensure its safe transfer into the care of the Bronx Zoo in New York, where it currently is being housed in the Animal Health Center.
