JVA receives complaints of fox sightings in residential areas

AMMAN —  The Jordanian Veterinarians Association has received three complaints regarding the appearance of foxes in residential neighbourhoods in Amman over the past two years. 

 Speaking with The Jordan Times, association Vice-President Ghdunfur Abu Zneid said that detecting foxes in urban areas in Jordan is “very unusual” as they’re naturally found in forests, mountains and remote grasslands. 

 In 2021, a pair of foxes settled in the garden of a house in an Amman neighbourhood and gave birth to seven cubs, according to Abu Zneid.  

The residents contacted the association, which helped move the family of foxes to a safe area with the help of animal experts and the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), he said.  

“The same residents called us again recently, saying that a number of foxes have appeared in the very same spot from which we removed the foxes that were found in 2021,” he added. 

After inspecting the place with the help of an expert on Thursday morning, the foxes appeared to be hiding in burrows they made in the ground, Abu Zneid continued.

“It’s not safe to remove them in this case, so we will be returning in the evening when these animals usually leave their hiding place,” he noted. 

According to Abu Zneid, foxes aren’t easy to detect, as they’re solitary animals that mostly move around at night and retreat to hiding places, such as burrows, during the day. 

Abu Zneid also explained that it is “very likely” that the same mother fox which was removed in 2021, or one of its female cubs, decided to give birth at the same spot because it felt “safe and familiar”.  

He pointed out that these cases might be a result of the lockdowns following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which emboldened wild animals to roam freely in areas that are usually bustling with people. 

 “This might also explain the increasing number of stray dogs in residential areas,” he said. 

 Abu Zneid also noted the need to monitor this situation in order to prevent these cases from turning into a phenomenon. “What we’re worried about is for these animals to feel comfortable enough to settle and breed in and around residential areas”.  

He added that foxes generally only prey on small animals, so there is some risk of attacks on smaller pets, such as cats or birds. However, they’re not considered aggressive mammals, and it is very unlikely for them to attack a human for no reason. 

“But a curious child might touch one and get scratched or bitten, so it’s best to avoid this risk by ensuring that these animals remain in their natural habitat,” he said.  

Moreover, Abu Zneid warned that foxes carry a wide range of different diseases and parasites that can infect both humans and animals. 

 He also pointed out that foxes are among the warm-blooded mammals that can contract rabies, although that “isn’t common”.