New York — This stowaway was truly as cunning as a fox.
A Red fox He somehow slipped onto a cargo ship that traveled from Southampton, England, to New York, where the animal is now in the care of the Bronx Zoo.
The zoo said on Wednesday that the 11-pound (5-kilogram) male fox appeared to be in good health after early examinations.
“He seems to be settling in well,” Keith Lovett, the zoo’s director of animal programs, said by phone. “He’s been through a lot.”
It’s not clear how the animal got on board the car-filled ship, which left Southampton on February 4, according to the zoo. On February 18, the ship arrived at the port of New York and New Jersey, and officials brought the fox to the zoo the next day. He is estimated to be two years old.
Zoo representatives were unsure how and when the fox was discovered. Letters requesting these details were sent to government agencies concerned with the port.
This species, officially called Vulpes vulpes, is widespread in Europe, Asia, North America and parts of Africa. A long-term home will be found for this fox once more health checks are done.
He is currently at the zoo’s veterinary center. Being an omnivore, it gets a diet consisting of produce, proteins, and some biscuit-like items.