Foxes making appearance around Clovis

In fox news, they seem to be everywhere.

A recent informal social media poll found more than 20 area residents who said they have seen foxes in or near Clovis lately, some as recently as the past week. While these frequent sightings may make it feel as though the local fox population has increased, Cpl. Clay Moyers of New Mexico’s Department of Game and Fish said even in drought years city fox populations stay fairly static. That’s because the food, water, and shelter they need are all provided by city inhabitants.

Why then does it seem so commonplace to see these furry creatures as of late? “If I had to guess, it’d be people are out less, so wild animals are coming out more,”said Angel Zagar, zookeeper at Hillcrest Park Zoo. “I think COVID had a lot to do with that honestly.”

Zagar is not alone in her theory. Animal habits are being researched in many different studies across the world. “(W)ildlife scientists are now working to understand the impacts of what many are calling the ‘anthropause’ — the dramatic slowdown in human activity caused by the pandemic,” according to Science magazine.

While the Hillcrest Park Zoo boasts its own display of bat-eared foxes, the grounds are also host to a population of wild gray foxes. There is one living near the deer exhibit, as well as a few families often seen near the zoo’s storage area, according to Zagar.

Some Clovis residents are happier about local fox sightings than others. Clovis’ Valerie Dalton, who lives near the Goodwin Walking Trail off of Prince Street, said she’s enjoyed watching a fox family play in the grass near her home for the past two years. They come several nights a week.

Dalton said she’s never felt concerned having the wild animals around. “It gives me pleasure to watch them,” she said.

Like them or not, “They’ve always been here,” said Moyers. And they can pose threats, especially to pets and poultry.

Moyers said foxes can also carry communicable diseases, including distemper and rabies.

The risk to chickens is obvious: no one wants a fox in their henhouse.

For those not interested in having foxes for neighbors, Moyers suggested eliminating environments where they can create dens.

“Most of the foxes in and around town are living under somebody’s lawn mower shed in a back yard that has an open area where they have access to it,” Moyers said.

Foxes can also take up residence in vacant houses or storage buildings with easy access.

Area animal control officers can help remove unwanted foxes within city limits.