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!
Terry
Eastern Box Turtle
Both of Terry’s eyes became severely infected in the wild, likely because of long-term exposure to organochlorine pesticides. He was found by a three-year-old girl who could tell he was sick and gave him the name Terry. (We promised to keep the name!)
Terry had multiple surgeries and months of treatment to try to save at least one of his eyes, but unfortunately, he lost both eyes and is completely blind.
Terry can’t survive in the wild, but he has a happy life with us. He loves basking in sunlight, eating fresh berries, and climbing to the highest points in his enclosures. We love introducing him to people!
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.
The Sliders
Pond Slider
For Fox Sake and For The Shell Of It are 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 