A rare animal has been spotted roaming the streets of Britain with the RSPCA being forced to issue a warning. The organisation has condemned the keeping of wild animals as pets.
Members of the public in Wales were shocked to see a black fox wandering the streets of Barry in South Wales after the animal welfare charity repeated their warning that keeping them as exotics pets is 'extremely difficult', reports the Mirror.
The domesticated black foxes, known officially as silver foxes, are kept as household pets by some but were classically bred for their fur. The RSPCA revealed it was aware of the particular case and hoped the creature in question was 'okay.'
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We are aware that a silver fox has been spotted in Barry and hope this fox is okay. Silver foxes are the same species as the red foxes we have living wild in the UK but with different colouration.
"Traditionally, they were bred for their fur, but are now sometimes kept as exotic pets."
Yet members of the public are being urged to stay away and that even fox experts find handling the creatures a tough task.
"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," the spokesperson added.
“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 RSPCA advises anyone thinking of getting any kind of exotic pet to fully research the animal’s specific needs before making a decision.
“Exotic pets can live a long time, grow to a large size, and need to be taken to an exotics vet if they become ill, which can be expensive."
Posting on a picture of the black fox on Facebook, Nik Venn gave an idea on where the animal might be heading next.
He said: "This picture was from Monday morning [17 April] on Bendrick Road, fox heading towards the docks."
The charity is also urging the public not to contact them about the fox unless it becomes injured due to a lack of resources.
The spokesperson added: “If the fox is injured and present please call the RSPCA emergency line on 0300 1234 999 - quoting reference: 01052661.
“For further information about exotic pets, please visit the RSPCA’s website.”
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