The Cosley Zoo staff is excited to welcome our new fox, “MJ”. MJ is approximately one year old and came to us from a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Michigan. The rehabilitator determined that MJ was not releasable into the wild because while he was young, he was hand-raised by humans. This resulted in what we call “imprinting”, a condition in which a wild animal does not learn the skills necessary for survival because it is not raised by members of its own species. MJ was therefore in need of a permanent home in human care.
MJ has been introduced to Lady, a red fox who has lived at Cosley Zoo for the past 11 years. Introductions have gone quite smoothly, with Lady being very curious and interested in her new companion. Lady has frequently been observed watching MJ caching (hiding) food, which she then has no qualms about digging up to enjoy herself, so having MJ around is working out just fine for her!
MJ has settled in well to his new home. As a young animal, he is understandably curious about everything. He is very interested in his neighbor, Wiley the coyote, and can often be seen zooming around the yard at high speed, taking everything in at once!
