10/19/2026
🦊💔 PLEASE LOVE THEM ENOUGH TO LET THEM BE WILD.
The Hidden Dangers of Feeding Wild Foxes
I want to share something that has been weighing heavily on my heart, especially after everything we have witnessed over the past several months.
Since this summer, Heart of the Wild Wildlife Rescue has taken in 16 foxes from the Lake Placid and Saranac Lake area alone, all suffering from mange. This is an unprecedented number for me to rescue from one geographical area. Tragically, three were already too far gone for us to save including the one pictured here.
During my time working in these communities, I have learned that several well-meaning residents have been regularly feeding the foxes.
I want to make something very clear. This post is not about placing blame. I know these people have kind hearts and genuinely believe they are helping these beautiful animals.
But sometimes, what we do out of love can unintentionally cause harm.
🦊 HOW FEEDING CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE SPREAD OF MANGE
Sarcoptic mange is caused by microscopic mites that burrow into the skin. It is highly contagious among foxes, particularly through close contact.
When food is repeatedly placed in one location, foxes that would otherwise spend much of their time hunting and foraging independently begin gathering in the same areas.
This increases opportunities for infected foxes to spread mange to healthy ones.
Feeding does not directly cause mange, but bringing wildlife together unnaturally can help facilitate its spread.
💔 PLEASE UNDERSTAND JUST HOW MUCH A FOX CAN SUFFER FROM MANGE.
Dying from advanced mange is not a peaceful or painless death.
Imagine experiencing relentless, unbearable itching, day and night, with no way to find relief. Your skin becomes severely inflamed, thickened, cracked, and covered in painful sores. Secondary infections can develop, and your body becomes increasingly weak as you struggle just to survive.
Now imagine enduring all of that while temperatures drop below freezing at night.
A fox’s beautiful, thick coat is its protection against the cold. When mange destroys that coat, the fox loses much of its natural insulation and can struggle to maintain its body temperature.
As temperatures continue to fall here in the Adirondacks, these already weakened animals face the very real possibility of developing hypothermia and literally freezing to death.
Imagine being so unbearably itchy that you cannot find comfort, while at the same time being unable to keep yourself warm.
This is the heartbreaking reality for some foxes suffering from advanced mange.
I have witnessed this suffering firsthand. I have treated their wounds, cared for their weakened bodies, and fought to save them. And tragically, I have also watched some lose that battle.
No animal deserves to suffer like this, especially from a disease that is often treatable when caught early.
🚨 WHY EARLY REPORTING AND TREATMENT MATTER
Several residents were reluctant to have foxes trapped because, from a distance, the animals appeared healthy. I understand how difficult it can be to recognize mange when a fox is still moving normally or still has some fur.
But a fox can look relatively healthy from far away while already carrying mange and spreading it to other foxes.
Based on the number of cases we have seen, the Lake Placid area has been extremely heavily affected. In fact, if you were a fox living in Lake Placid during this period, you were at an exceptionally high risk of having mange, even if the signs were not yet obvious to people watching from a distance.
Waiting until a fox is visibly emaciated, nearly hairless, or too weak to flee can make trapping much more dangerous and treatment much more difficult.
By then, the fox may be suffering from advanced disease, hypothermia, infection, or severe weakness. A fox that could have been safely trapped and treated earlier may not be once they get to this weakened state.
We are also nearing the end of the season in which we can safely attempt to trap and rescue these foxes. Setting a trap in this kind of extreme cold is dangerous for an already weakened animal. A fox can become dangerously cold while waiting in a trap, and the risk of hypothermia, frostbite, or death increases quickly. Because of the weather, our window to safely try to save them is almost over.
I also have limited space to house foxes over the winter until our new enclosure can be built . That makes early reporting and responsible intervention even more important. We need to help foxes before they reach a crisis point, while also making sure that the animals we rescue have the space and care they need to recover safely.
If you see a fox in this area showing even mild signs of mange, please do not wait until it looks critically ill. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible so the situation can be assessed and a safe plan can be made.
🚗 FEEDING CAN ALSO PUT FOXES IN DANGER OF BEING HIT BY VEHICLES.
In the Lake Placid area alone, I am aware of more than five foxes that have been struck and killed by vehicles over the past several months.
When foxes become accustomed to receiving food from people, they may begin approaching homes, parking areas, and roads more frequently.
They can also lose some of their natural caution around humans and vehicles.
🌿 NATURE PROVIDES A MUCH HEALTHIER DIET.
Foxes are incredibly resourceful hunters. Their natural diet includes mice, voles, squirrels, rabbits, insects, and seasonal fruits and berries.
These foods provide a variety of nutrients that support their overall health, body condition, and immune function.
Regularly feeding processed human foods, table scraps, or inappropriate pet foods can create nutritional imbalances and encourage dependence on people.
While working in the Lake Placid area, I have repeatedly observed an abundance of squirrels and other wildlife on my cameras. There is natural prey available for these foxes.
Foxes are designed to hunt. It is part of what makes them foxes.
⚠️ THERE ARE ALSO RISKS TO PEOPLE AND PETS.
When wildlife congregates around feeding areas, opportunities for disease transmission can increase.
Depending on the circumstances, diseases and parasites of concern include:
● Sarcoptic mange: Can spread to domestic dogs and cause temporary skin irritation in humans.
● Leptospirosis: A bacterial infection that can affect dogs and humans, often through contaminated urine or water.
● Rabies: A fatal viral disease that can be transmitted through bites or infectious saliva.
● Intestinal parasites: Some can contaminate the environment and pose risks to other animals or people.
Not every fox carries these diseases, but minimizing unnecessary close contact helps protect wildlife, pets, and our communities.
❤️ THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I DO PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD.
When I release certain young foxes that have been raised in rehabilitation, I may ask the homeowner to provide supplemental food for a short period, generally a few weeks, while the fox adjusts to life back in the wild.
This is a carefully planned, temporary part of the rehabilitation and release process, not an invitation to establish a permanent feeding station.
The ultimate goal is always the same: a healthy, independent wild fox that no longer needs us.
🦊 SO HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Please admire foxes from a distance. Enjoy watching them, photograph them, and appreciate the privilege of having these magnificent animals in your community.
But please resist the temptation to feed them.
If you see a fox losing fur, scratching excessively, shaking like it just got out of water ,developing crusty skin, or appearing unusually thin or weak, please contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Do not wait until the fox looks severely ill. Early intervention gives us the best chance of trapping and treating the animal safely, before the weather makes trapping too dangerous.
Early treatment can mean the difference between life and death.
I have dedicated countless hours, traveled hundreds of miles, and poured my heart into helping these animals recover. Nothing makes me happier than watching a once-suffering fox regain its beautiful coat, begin playing again, and eventually return to the wild.
And nothing breaks my heart more than knowing some suffered too long before help arrived.
Please understand that loving wildlife sometimes means leaving them alone—and speaking up early when they need help.
We don’t need to make foxes dependent on us to show that we care.
We need to give them the opportunity to live the wild, healthy lives they were meant to live. ❤️
Heart of the Wild Wildlife Rescue, Inc.
501(c)(3) Nonprofit Wildlife Rescue
📍 Adirondack Mountains, Upstate New York
🦊 Please share this message. Education can prevent suffering, and together we can make a difference for wildlife everywhere.
