Foxes Saved by Humane Society from Portola Valley House

Two captivating native gray foxes that had fallen into a 10-foot-high window well in a Portola Valley home were rescued by rescue staff from the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA last Thursday. Following a call from an individual who was cleaning the windows, Buffy Martin Tarbox, an organization representative, explained that the rescue staff arrived at the site and rescued the foxes from their dangerous predicament.

This particular type of well is essentially a deep excavation around a basement window that allows light to enter. Consequently, the window well in question was so deep that the rescuer had to enter the home to extract the foxes, Tarbox indicated. The foxes were safely placed in cages and taken outside for assessment. As rescuers didn’t detect any apparent injuries on the foxes, they were released back into their natural habitat.

Without the assistance of the humane society’s staff, they would most likely have perished because they couldn’t scale the high-concrete enclosure walls, Tarbox said. She emphasized that the foxes are fortunate to have been saved from the perilous predicament they found themselves in, adding that they are both captivating creatures. 

Their intelligence and resourcefulness are exhibited by their amazing ability to survive in a variety of environments, including urban areas, although they favor the countryside, as the gentle rolling hills and wooded regions are some of their favorite hunting grounds. These omnivorous and opportunistic predators consume insects, fruits, rodents, rabbits, and reptiles, among other things.

Furthermore, since they are nocturnal, they are barely seen. Unlike other canids, they have a unique climb-down system that only few animals can manage. This fox species is typically found in the western United States, from southern California to eastern Texas. Their population, however, has diminished as a result of habitat destruction and disease. Therefore, every life saved is good news.