Rare black fox spotted roaming streets in Wales as public urged to call RSPCA

RSPCA gives word of caution after sightings

A rare black fox has been spotted roaming streets in south Wales

Residents in Barry and Sully in the Vale of Glamorgan saw the unusual sight on Tuesday morning after the animal reportedly escaped from its owner.

Barry resident Leigh Partiland took a photo of the fox and said: “He was terrified of all the trucks and lorries coming off the docks.”

It is thought the rare black fox may have escaped from its owner (Leigh Partiland)

The foxes are not native to the UK and originate from North America, where around 10 per cent of the fox population is black.

“Black foxes could be the descendants of foxes bred for the fur trade and released into the wild many years ago,” an RSCPA statement said. “Others could have escaped from captivity and continued to survive in the wild.”

The sighting follows a 2021 incident, also in Barry, where a town-wide search was carried out to find an escaped black fox. The animal, the BBC reported at the time, was eventually found caught in a snare and needed its leg amputated.

It is believed the foxes seen in Wales are tame and could possibly approach people. On Facebook, one commenter said he had even seen the fox lurking outside Home Bargains in Barry.

There are no restrictions on breeding or owning black foxes in the UK, but it is not a step the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) encourages.

A spokesman for the Welsh branch of the charity told the BBC: “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.

“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.

“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.”

If you spot the fox you can contact the RSPCA emergency line on 0300 1234 999.