Rare ‘mythological creature’ — likely an escaped pet — spotted wandering around Wales
Meandering around southern Wales, a fluffy creature quickly caught local attention. The rare animal wandered through streets and yards, stared back at those filming and — so far — evaded capture.
The rare black fox was spotted in the Vale of Glamorgan on Sunday, April 16, BBC reported. Black foxes, also known as silver foxes, are an uncommon sight in the U.K.
The animals are “something of a mythological creature,” according to the organization Black Foxes U.K. Sightings of black foxes are either “escaped exotic pets” that need to be returned or “native wild foxes.”
The black fox seen around the Vale of Glamorgan appears to be an escaped pet, BBC reported.
The black fox was seen walking across a yard and approaching a chicken coop in a TikTok video shared by The Independent on April 19. The surprised — but unharmed — chickens clucked at the fox, which continued walking through the yard.
Other video clips shared by BBC show the creature walking around, scratching its side and staring at the camera. In one clip, the fox slipped around the corner and through a hole in the wall.
The fox has dark black ears, paws and tail with silver-gray fur along its body. The tip of the fox’s tail is bright white, video shows.
Wales Shared Regulatory Services said it was “aware” of the creature and working to ensure its safety, according to a post on Twitter.
RSPCA, an animal welfare organization, told ITV that pet “foxes are wild animals with very specific needs that are no different to those of foxes living in the wild and they require specialist care.”
“Even the most experienced fox experts have had difficulty keeping adult foxes successfully. Therefore, the RSPCA does not advise or condone keeping foxes as pets,” the organization told the outlet.
Black Foxes U.K. told BBC it has a “temporary holding home lined up” for the fox “once it is caught.”
Regulatory officials advised people not to “approach or feed the fox.”
The Vale of Glamorgan is about 165 miles west of London.
This story was originally published April 20, 2023 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Rare ‘mythological creature’ — likely an escaped pet — spotted wandering around Wales."
