It’s not uncommon for people to attempt to befriend wildlife. They start by leaving food on their steps, then offering food by hand, then eventually petting and even holding the animal. It sounds like a magical experience, but this temporarily rewarding moment can be a death sentence for the animal. Raccoons in particular are atContinue reading “Don’t Befriend Raccoons”
Author Archives: ForFoxSake
How Do I Get Raccoons to Leave My Attic?
For the next few months, raccoons all over the country will be desperately looking for places to have their young. If there’s an opening that allows a mother-to-be into an attic, she will understandably think that this warm, dry shelter is a perfect place to raise her new babies. But what happens when the homeownerContinue reading “How Do I Get Raccoons to Leave My Attic?”
The Grey Fox: The Cattiest Dog
The grey fox, one of the native species that For Fox Sake rehabilitates, is one of those peculiar animals that massively fails the “duck test.” In many ways, this shy, reclusive animal seems exactly like a wild cat. It is small, nocturnal, solitary, and agile, and has retractable claws that it uses to climb trees,Continue reading “The Grey Fox: The Cattiest Dog”
Tennessee’s Endangered Flying Squirrel
This cutie pie is a rare sight, spotted occasionally in some of the higher altitude areas here in East Tennessee. Carolina flying squirrels are a subspecies of the Northern flying squirrel, currently facing the possibility of extinction due to habitat fragmentation and pollution. Its greatest threats come from the loss of the old-growth spruce forestsContinue reading “Tennessee’s Endangered Flying Squirrel”
Tennessee’s Red Squirrels
American red squirrels aren’t endangered, but here in our home state of Tennessee, they’re not very common. Red squirrels in Tennessee tend to stick to the high-altitude forests in Eastern Tennessee near the North Carolina border. They’re distinguished from their more widespread grey cousins by their smaller size, reddish fur, and less bushy tail. InContinue reading “Tennessee’s Red Squirrels”
Can the Porcupine Return to Tennessee?
Many Tennesseans don’t know that this cutie pie, the American porcupine, once lived in our state. The American porcupine was once abundant in the mountains of East Tennessee, but they were completely eliminated from our state by people who regarded them as pests, mostly because of their tendency to seek out salt-treated woods that wereContinue reading “Can the Porcupine Return to Tennessee?”
On Following the Law, Even When it Hurts
I dedicate my life to caring for Tennessee’s native wildlife, and specialize in foxes, skunks, and raccoons, but unfortunately, there are hard limits on which animals I am allowed to save. In Tennessee, a fox, skunk, or raccoon can not be accepted for rehabilitation if it is over six months of age. This is becauseContinue reading “On Following the Law, Even When it Hurts”
Grey Fox or Coyote Pup?
Grey foxes are sometimes killed because of a case of mistaken identity. This shy and elusive animal may look similar to a coyote pup at first glance, but can be distinguished by its very long tail with a black tip, its orange ears, and a black stripe that runs down most of its body. TheyContinue reading “Grey Fox or Coyote Pup?”
Tennessee’s Southern Bog Lemming
Many people think of lemmings as exotic animals that live only in cold wilderness areas. But this little fellow right here, the Southern bog lemming, actually lives right here in the Southern U.S.! Southern bog lemmings are a vital part of our ecosystem, as the preferred prey of many threatened and endangered native animals. AlthoughContinue reading “Tennessee’s Southern Bog Lemming”
Fishers Return to Tennessee
This handsome member of the weasel family, called a fisher or fisher-cat, was driven to statewide extinction by over-trapping. In 2002, conservationists selected a remote, forested area in middle Tennessee to re-introduce this animal to its native habitat. No one knows how successful they have been. Tennessee’s fishers lived on a diet rich in snowshoeContinue reading “Fishers Return to Tennessee”
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 