Almost a year after a fox made headlines for biting people on Capitol grounds, another fox was seen exploring the same area on Wednesday. (The current fox seems less interested in congressional pant legs.) However, the animal’s presence is a reminder that we’re in the midst of fox season. According to Lauren Crossed, wildlife program manager at the Humane Rescue Alliance, foxes give birth from March to May, so you may see more of them around the city during that time.
Fox is back on the Hill pic.twitter.com/xVJNJROv7E
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) March 30, 2023
“Foxes pose little threat to humans,” Crossed wrote in an email. “[They] instead provide a great service in rodent control by hunting mice and rats.” The animals will have no shortage of food here: Last year, DC was ranked the fourth “rattiest” city in the country.
The foxes in Capitol Hill have received plenty of attention, but the animals can be found in any neighborhood across the city, wherever they can find food and shelter. Although the foxes pose little risk to humans, Crossed advises against feeding them “intentionally or accidentally.”
Foxes roam where they like, but if you want them to avoid your property, Crossed suggests clearing out any food scraps or spaces that could become a den. If foxes are already in your yard, Crossed recommends you “enjoy the front row seat to what could be a National Geographic show.”
Concerned that a fox may have rabies? If you notice the fox is stumbling, looking intoxicated, or chewing its own leg, call the Humane Rescue Alliance. Typically, foxes seen during the day are assumed to not have rabies.
Keely recently graduated with her master’s in journalism from American University and has reported on local DC, national politics, and business. She has previously written for The Capitol Forum.
