Sorensen Neighborhood

Fox Sightings (archive)

Feb 13, 2006

By Erin Hynes, Sorensen Steering Committee

I?’ve heard from several Sorensen residents who report seeing foxes in different parts of the neighborhood. So I checked with Mark Oestreich, manager of Westwood Hills Nature Center in northwest St. Louis Park, to see if there?’s cause for alarm.

?“Red fox are more common in the Twin Cities than most people realize,?” Oestreich says. ?“Because they are most active at dawn and dusk, people are less likely to notice them. And they usually run away when people approach them.?”

He notes that there are exceptions, including a fox in the Westwood Hills neighborhood that he suspects was fed by people as a young fox. ?“It is very used to people and will run right up to them, even when they have a dog with them,?” Oestreich says. ?“It also follows people as they walk, which can be frightening to people if they are not expecting it.?”

Oestreich emphasizes that people should not feed foxes or other forms of wildlife. ?“St. Louis Park has an ordinance that bans feeding of any wildlife except songbirds,?” he explains. ?“There are plenty of squirrels, mice, and rabbits in the neighborhoods that they prefer to eat.?” He cautions that they are prone to diseases such as mange and distemper. Fortunately, pets that are current with vaccinations are not at risk of being infected.

He concludes, ?“Hopefully, foxes can coexist with people in the Sorensen neighborhood and give people a chance to see a special part of nature.?”

For more information about red foxes, see www.dnr.state.mn. us/snapshots/mammals/
redfox.html Westwood Hills Nature Center is located at 8300 West Franklin Avenue, St. Louis Park, MN 55426, 952-924-2543