PRINCETON: Fox attacks a dog in Princeton

By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
   Aggressive or territorial foxes have been reported to Princeton animal control in the past couple of weeks.
   Animal control officer Mark Johnson said the first complaint came from Andrews Lane, where a red fox attacked a medium-sized dog while a resident was walking the dog along the road. The dog survived the attack, he said.
   Mr. Johnson thinks there are a male and female fox with four pups on the street. He tried to trap the fox family after learning it was living under a deck in the area, but said the animals abandoned that location and moved down the street to a house that is vacant and are living underneath a deck.
   There are other foxes making their homes in Princeton, said Mr. Johnson.
   ”We have a similar situation on Hartley Avenue and MacLean Circle,” he said. “The fox follows (residents) around and watches them. When they stop, the fox stops.”
   Animal control is aware of their new location, but cannot reset the traps until there is a joint meeting between the Princetons. The meeting is a result of an ongoing investigation into the killing of two beavers in a local park.
   ”All wildlife is suspended for now until (governing bodies) come up with a nuisance policy,” he said. “There will be no further traps set up for any nuisances — foxes, groundhogs and raccoons.”
   Another known fox situation is between Dodds Lane and Shadybrook Lane, he said.
   ”They have taken over two yards,” he said. “They live under a person’s shed.”
   This is a very unusual year for fox problems, said Mr. Johnson.
   ”Usually, I only have one or two complaints of foxes, other than people calling me for sightings” he said. “They are just getting so used to humans living in this environment, they are living in people’s backyards. It’s now their home.”
   Last week, he said, a baby fox followed a woman walking her dog into her garage on Grassmere. Officials came and took the animal to the Mercer County Wildlife Center, he said.
   If people see a fox on their property, he said “You’ve got to be aggressor. You have to yell at it, clap your hands, do something to scare the animal away. If he’s being aggressive, call an official. It is not normal behavior. It should raise a red flag to say there is something wrong with this animal.”
   He advises residents not to touch or engage the animal and he encourages people who see an aggressive fox or one that is acting strangely to call their local police department for assistance.
   Aggressive behavior could include a fox following a person or an animal, said Mr. Johnson. Aggressive actions, or not running from humans, could be an indicator of disease or ill health in the animal.
   Fox sightings have not been limited to the Princetons. A fox that was trapped by the animal control officer in West Windsor on May 14 has tested positive for rabies.