The ultimate goal of wildlife rehabilitation is always to return animals to the natural ecosystem where they belong. However, some of our patients aren’t fit for release, and are dependent on human care for life. These very special animals get to live out their days here at For Fox Sake, where they help us teach the public about native wildlife.
Our presentations are custom-created for each audience and age group, and can cover a wide variety of topics including humane coexistence with wildlife, native Tennessee ecology, apex predator appreciation, invasive species management, how to help a wild animal in need, myths and misconceptions, and more!
We are fully licensed and fully insured as wildlife exhibitors and wildlife educators, and look forward to sharing our love of the natural world with you.
Although our ambassadors are very tame, they are still wild animals at heart and are not pets. For the safety of our ambassadors and you, our animals may not be pet or handled by the public.
We love and respect service animals and the work they provide. However, due to the nature of our programs, service animals cannot be present. The presence of dogs agitates and stresses our ambassadors, creating unsafe conditions for ourselves and our audience, and would fundamentally alter the audience experience.
T’challa
Bobcat
It’s suitable that T’challa has a superhero’s name, because he also has a superhero’s backstory! When T’challa was only a few days old, a raptor captured him and carried him away for dinner. By some miracle, the bird dropped him in the driveway of someone who knew he needed help.
As one might expect, being dropped on the head as a baby made T’challa “special.” He has developmental delays and never developed the wild instincts he needed to survive in the natural world, and he developed an unusual attachment and bond to humans. We’re sad that this little fellow can’t return to the wild, but he’s a wonderful ambassador for his species and is absolutely adored here at For Fox Sake!
Calliope
American Mink
Calliope’s mother, Annie, was a captive-bred mink descended from many generations of animals bred for the fur industry. Annie escaped to the wild and was eventually captured and brought to our friends at Rocky Mountain Mink Refuge, where they discovered she had become pregnant while having her adventure! Calliope was one of the kits born in this half-wild litter.
Calliope is similar to her wild father in appearance, behavior, and intelligence, so she makes an excellent ambassador for wild mink. However, having a captive-bred mother means she cannot be released to the wild. Farmed mink have bigger bodies, smaller brains, and poorer health than their wild cousins, and it can cause when their genes are introduced to wild populations.
Since Calliope can’t live in nature, we stepped up to give her the next best thing. She has a very happy life on our care and loves teaching people about wild mink and their role in our native ecosystem.
Quasimodo
Eastern box turtle
This, well, unconventionally handsome fellow is such a charmer! Everyone who sees him instantly falls in love. Quasimodo is an outgoing Eastern box turtle with a lot of personality, and he loves helping us teach about box turtles!
Quasimodo was kept very poorly as a pet for many, many years. This resulted in severe metabolic bone disease, which deformed his shell and caused him long-term disability. He can’t be released to the wild, but he has a wonderful quality of life these days.
Quasimodo would be happy to teach about the biology and natural history of box turtles, what makes them so special, and why it’s often unkind to keep them as pets.
Amor
Eastern box turtle
If you’re trying to find Amor’s face, you can stop looking. She doesn’t have one! Amor has no eyes and a deformed mouth, due to either a very old injury or birth defect. She was found outside like this several years ago and passed around a few sets of hands before she made her way to us.
Amor is a fascinating girl who gets around well despite her limitations. She is completely blind but finds food and sunlight with her sense of smell and taste. We love her, and we know you will, too!
Fossil
Common Snapping Turtle
When Fossil was kidnapped into the pet trade, his future looked pretty grim. This gentle giant was rescued by conservation officers in a pet store that was knowingly buying from poachers, and couldn’t be returned to the wild because his original home was unknown. We had the honor of becoming his forever home!
Fossil is an easy-going fellow who enjoys snapping turtle pastimes like floating and sinking. He has a small pond all to himself and is always very calm and docile when he gets to meet the public!
Medusa
Corn Snake
Medusa is a cutie pie of a corn snake sure to convert even those who are afraid of snakes! Like so many others, Medusa was a victim of the illegal pet trade, captured in the wild and raised as a pet for several years before being handed over.
We attempted to rehabilitate Medusa, but she did not unlearn her trust in humans or love of pre-killed even after months, so we made her part of our education program.
Medusa is active and inquisitive. She loves climbing and exploring and her favorite foods are fuzzy rats. We can’t wait to share her with you!
The Sliders
Pond Slider
For Fox Sake is home to twelve non-releasable pond sliders. All of these turtles were victims of the pet trade who were kept in appalling conditions including filthy, tiny aquariums with inadequate ultraviolet light and poor diet.
Over time, these beautiful creatures developed metabolic bone diseases that deformed their shells and spines. They also came ago us with infections in their shells and under their skin.
Although treatment has enabled us to relieve these turtles’ suffering and give them a better quality of life, all of our pond sliders are in such poor shape that they can’t be returned to the wild, so they will live out their days in our care as members of our ambassador program.
Our pond sliders include red-ear, yellow-bellied, and Cumberland sliders, as well as hybrids between these, and range in size from three to twelve inches in length. They can be suitable for nearly any education program and can help share information about responsible care for wildlife, reptile sentience, and the pitfalls of irresponsible exotic pet ownership.
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 