An Arctic Fox that went missing from Buffalo Animal Adventures last week has been found and is back at their enclusre in West Seneca.
The animal was spotted by a woman on her lunch break Tuesday in Orchard Park.
A viewer, Anthony Rusinek, sent 2 On Your Side a photo of the white, furry fox saying his wife snapped the picture while eating her lunch in the parking lot of the Buffalo Medical Group on North Buffalo Road.
After the photo was posted on social media, a representative from Buffalo Animal Adventure, Anthony Kelly, called 2 On Your Side. Kelly said he thought the fox was one-year-old Cleo who went missing from Animal Adventures last Thursday.
The animal education firm says Cleo was adopted by them after a man in Ohio tried to keep her as a pet. Kelly says they have permits from the state to keep her in a special double-gated enclosure because she is technically considered to be wildlife. They stress she got loose at feeding time last Thursday because of a mistake by one of their staffers. They also say this is the first such escape from their enclosure and the staffer will be re-trained to make sure it does not happen again.
The fox is not a public health concern in any way, an Animal Adventures representative says. She is not aggressive and has been vaccinated. She is used for educational visits to homes, nursing homes, and evemn kids birthday parties.
The tip from a viewer prompted Buffalo Animal Adventure staffers to try to catch her in Orchard Park. They were unsuccessful on Tuesday evening. But she was spotted again near the Orchard Park Veterinary Emergency Hospital and wildlife expert Elise Able was able to successfully and safely lure her into a Have A Heart style trap. She has since been returned to the West Seneca enclosure.
