Rare black fox rescued in Barry after two-week search

The black fox has been spotted by locals who said they saw it "having a scratch" and wandering off when he had "had his grub"

A rare black fox which has been roaming the streets of a Vale of Glamorgan town for two weeks has been rescued.

Black Foxes UK began receiving numerous reports of an abandoned "silver fox" in Barry on 8 April but were unable to locate its owner.

Also known as silver foxes, they are not native to the wild in the UK, but domesticated and kept as exotic pets.

The fox was safely captured on 24 April and has been found a home at a secure facility.

RSPCA Cymru said even the most experienced fox experts have had difficulty keeping adult foxes and does not advise it.

• Rare black fox is spotted roaming the streets

In North America, about 10% of foxes are black, with the rest a mixture of colours, such as red.

Some people will breed only black litters to make totally black foxes, and there are currently no restrictions in the UK on breeding or owning them.

Black Foxes UK sought help from the local authority animal warden and local cat rescue, Shua Trust Home and Sanctuary who helped with the rescue.

The fox was taken to Vets4Pets who treated Luna, a black fox who was rescued in 2021

The fox, which is male and appears to be about two years old, has been named Shadow.

He was taken to Vets4Pets for treatment as there were reports of the fox having a leg injury, but he was found to be in fine health.

Shadow is very confident around people and was clearly well-socialised prior to his escape, said Black Foxes UK.

It said there may still be an injured fox on the loose and asked the public to stay alert.