DEXTER, Mich. – A family of foxes was saved last week after construction workers demolishing a building discovered them.
The fox den was beneath a building at 8180 Island Lake Road.
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Workers from Blue Star Demolition stopped their bulldozers when they saw the foxes and called the Humane Society of Huron Valley.
The HSHV rescue officers who responded placed a small amount of ammonia at the entrance to the den to encourage the foxes to leave. They used a night-vision camera to watch the animals’ movements.
According to HSHV, the den was abandoned a day later.
“If we, like Blue (Star) Demolition, shut down our bulldozers for just a second, we can figure out peaceful and successful ways to co-exist, and act in ways that respect our environment, nature and all living beings,” said Tanya Hilgendorf, CEO and president of HSHV.
Baby animals can be expected to be seen in the spring, when many animals give birth, according to HSHV.
“It’s important for people to know if you see animals like these foxes out during the day, they’re not rabid,” says Karen O’Connor, a rehabilitator at Help 4 Wildlife, “They’re out feeding their young.”
O’Connor and HSHV have been receiving more calls about wildlife lately, many about squirrels or raccoons in attics. They recommend using ammonia, cat litter and human noise to encourage the animals to move.
Hilgendorf said foxes and other animals generally avoid humans, but as their homes become scarcer, they move closer to humans.
“We’re living side by side with nature now, which many of us enjoy, so we need to negotiate how to best and humanely do so,” she said.
The former Mill Creek Sports Center is being demolished and replaced by a canoe livery.