Rescuer surprised by injured red fox’s color change

By Emma Dunn via SWNS

A rescuer who brought in an injured red fox was surprised to discover he was actually white when the dirt rubbed off – and has now been able to release him back into the wild.

Bo, a Leucisitc red fox has lighter pigmented fur making him appear white, but he was so dirty and unwell when he was brought into the fox unit at Pawprints Wildlife Rescue, in Wirral, Merseyside, England that he appeared brown.

Gray Taylor, 36, received a call from a local woman about a fox that had turned up in a state in her garden, and Gray set a trap to bring him in to nurse him back to health.

Gray spent three weeks brushing Bo’s fur and giving him eye drops and started to see Bo’s true lighter pigment fur as he returned back to health.

Now Bo has been released back into the wild and “shot out the carrier.”

Gray, who runs the fox unit at Pawprints Wildlife Rescue, said: “Bo’s eyes were shut by scabs.

“He was a really sorry sight.

“He was withdrawn and behaving like a dog.

“As he got healthier, he's gotten more sprightly and would growl at me.

“This behavior is a good sign.

A rescuer who brought in an injured red fox was surprised to discover he was actually WHITE when the dirt rubbed off. (Gray Taylor via SWNS)

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“When Bo came in his fur was darker because of the dirt.

“But his fur coat is lighter.

“He’s a special fox.”

Gray works 24/7 to help care and rescue injured and poorly foxes in his area.

“I’m able to deal with 70% of incidents outside but if they are too poorly we have to bring them in,” he said.

The fox unit received a call about Bo in November 2022, and chose to bring him into the center when they saw the state of him.

“He was in immediate need of help,” Gray said.

“If we hadn’t have come we would have died.

“He was covered in mange – a skin disease caused by mites.

“He was sitting up in about a week.”

Gray gave Bo daily brushes and eye drops to cure his bacterial conjunctivitis and began to see a change in his behavior and fur color.

“At first when he came in he was amendable,” he said.

“But after a week he started to change and would look at me more warily which is a good sign.”

After three weeks with Gray, Bo was released back into the wild.

“He shot out of the carrier,” Gray said.