A red fox that crossed the Atlantic Ocean as a stowaway on a cargo ship and was found at the Port of New York and New Jersey in February is healthy, out of quarantine and has been given a name: Basil.
The Bronx Zoo took the 2-year-old English fox into its care earlier this year after he was secured by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the end of his journey from Southampton, England. The zoo announced Friday that Basil, which rhymes with “dazzle,” was treated for a dangerous parasite known as “French heartworm” and has a clean bill of health.
French heartworm infects the lungs’ blood vessels in wild canids and can cause severe respiratory disease if untreated, according to zoo officials. Basil took three different medications to help clear the parasite, and the zoo said his coat has grown fuller and shinier. He’s also gained some weight, and currently clocks in at 13.7 pounds.
Foxes sometimes get a reputation for being skittish, but Basil is more sociable, said Keith Lovett, vice president and director of animal programs at the Bronx Zoo.
Basil the fox is doing much better after months of treatment.
“He must have been comfortable around the docks, around people,” Lovett said. “ He's done really well here, and staff has really bonded well with him during the quarantine period.”
At the moment, Basil is hanging out “behind the scenes” at the zoo, the vice president said. Staff are debating the best “forever” home for the fox.
“We'll be making that decision over the next few weeks,” Lovett said.
Zoo officials said this was an unusual case of a stowaway animal, though they regularly work with government agencies and others to help rescue illegally trafficked wildlife.
“To have a fox stowaway on a ship, it's pretty rare,” Lovett said. “We deal with the illegal side of things, where people are illegally bringing animals into the country, and that's what we predominantly deal with. … But in this case, the fox took it upon himself to get on the ship.”
