Rare Species Of Fox Transferred To Wildlife Reserves Singapore From Hong Kong
Move over, pandas: a new black and white beauty’s ready to spread goodwill among nations.
Well, not exactly.
Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department handed over a rare species of fox to Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) last week, after deciding that it was the most suitable home for the furry creature.
The fox was flown to Singapore last Tuesday (13 Mar), according to the South China Morning Post.
News reports suggest that the fox has settled well into its new home and that it will be used as part of a campaign against illegal animal trading.
Who put the fox there?
Hikers found the black and white fox on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island last July.
Photos show it unafraid of humans, suggesting that it had been kept illegally as a pet at some point.
Early reports speculated that the animal was a white marble fox, which is kept as a pet in places like the United Kingdom.
However, there is no confirmation of this.
But Hong Kong officials do believe that it is a non-native creature that was smuggled into the city.
Shared “custody”
The city’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Ocean Park took turns caring for the animal, but neither could do it indefinitely.
Nonetheless, they did a good job: according to Ocean Park, the fox had gained 4kg while it was in its care and was in good health before its departure.
The park also sent the fox’s primary care taker to accompany and monitor its health and condition, and to help settle the fox in its new environment.
While other organisations expressed interest in adopting the fox, Hong Kong authorities decided that WRS was the best option for the canine.
It said:
After considering factors such as the husbandry, fox care, experience [and]veterinary support, Wildlife Reserves Singapore is most suitable to be its new home.
The incident has sparked calls from local animal rights groups for Hong Kong to do more to combat the exotic pet trade.
WRS has no mention of the fox or the transfer on its social media pages. MustShareNews has reached out to them for comment.
Featured image via Facebook.
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