A refuge for unfit foxes will open in 2022

In Douzillac, in the Dordogne, a 1,500 m2 plot is being cleared by volunteers from the association “The closed of the foxes”, created two years ago. If everything goes as hoped by Carine Gresse, its founder, the first foxes should point their muzzles there from the summer of 2022 or during the year in any case.

On this surface, a dozen foxes could be accommodated, but the site is likely to extend according to needs. To be admitted to the shelter, the canids must no longer be able to live in freedom, for various reasons. In France, there is only one small refuge for foxes in Alsace,
Cherry Archwhich has six residents.

For “too heavily impregnated” animals

The association will be in contact with wildlife care centers and will work with the French office for biodiversity, which regularly has to deal with seizures of foxes. Animals that have the effects of injuries (car accidents, traps, hunting, digging up, etc.) and whose chances of survival in the wild are compromised can be moved to Clos des Renardises. “The fox mulote to catch rodents which represent 75% of its food and for that, it must be at 100% of its capacity to hunt”, specifies Carine Gresse, passionate about the species.

“Some individuals want to do well and tame them a bit like dogs,” adds the founder, who was a veterinary assistant in Belgium, her country of origin. But even if it’s done with great love, it’s not allowed and it can be heartbreaking. And to recall the case of Zouzou in Bergerac, a story that ended well since the fox’s adoptive family was able to pass the certificates required to keep him. Too “impregnated” by a human relationship, the animals are then no longer able to return to live in their natural environment. The status of “pest” of the fox also works against it and the refuge could, in certain cases, be an alternative to its euthanasia.

All animals cared for by the association will be sterilized and equipped with chips. No question of breeding. The cohabitation between the individuals should go well because “they will be well fed and there will therefore be no hunting competition”, specifies Carine Gresse. A habituation enclosure is provided for the last animals to arrive, before they join the rest of the group.

Strong support and crowdfunding

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation has given an agreement in principle on the project and the association is awaiting a financial green light. Subsidy applications have also been submitted to local authorities. A crowdfunding campaign was also launched with individuals. “An agreement with medium and large surfaces has been signed to recover unsold meat and croquettes”, adds the founder of “Clos des Renardises”.

“The animals will serve as educational visual aids for events for all audiences, in particular for schools, hopes Carine Gresse. It will not be open to the public but potentially visitable under conditions to be established with the management of veterinary services and the Department”. It is not a question of exposing the animals as in an animal park. On the other hand, the site could open once a year for open days, in particular for schoolchildren who have worked all year round on a project related to the refuge.

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