OCEAN ISLE BEACH — The proposed fate of foxes trapped in a local beach town is under scrutiny, pushing the town to reconvene on the issue next week.
On Nov. 10, the Ocean Isle Beach Board of Commissioners OK’d the town seeking out a professional trapper to remove problem foxes from public land. What sparked controversy and prompted People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to get involved was the decision to send the foxes to what the state deems “controlled fox hunting preserves,” rather than the other outcome allowed by the state: euthanasia.
The state definition for these preserives is “an enclosed area where foxes and coyotes are pursued with dogs.” According to the NCWRC, there are 121 licensed fox preserves in the state.
In North Carolina, the practice of penning is regulated by the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission and facilities are licensed. The commission vaguely requires “acclimation” periods of no specific length for the animals kept in the enclosures and places for them to hide while being chased by dogs.
The preserves are required to have electric fences and “escape dens” if smaller than 106-acres. For a fox-only preserve, one dog is allowed inside at a time for each acre of preserve space.
Kristin Rickman, the emergency response division manager for PETA, told Port City Daily there is no guarantee the foxes will not be injured or killed by dogs, despite state-mandated safety measures. She described their fate, constantly penned in and being chased, as “worse than death.”
PETA’s position, outlined in an email to the town on Nov. 21, is that it should euthanize the foxes if it insists on removing them because it would be “a far kinder fate.”
Daisy Ivey, Ocean Isle Beach’s town administrator, said the town has not contracted with a trapper yet and would only be allowed to trap the animals on public land in January.
Ivey said the town knew the preserves are regulated by the state and the board, at the time, thought they were choosing the best option. She said the town has never tried to engage with a trapper before.
“Since then we’ve received hundreds of emails from PETA members saying it is inhumane,” Ivey said.
OIB Mayor Debbie Smith told PCD the issue will be addressed again during the town’s Tuesday meeting because of the response. When taking a vote on the issue last month, the board considered sending foxes to the reserves would be “not as bad” as euthanizing.
“At least they have a chance to escape,” Smith said. “I’m not talking about how big a chance that is, but I think with the outcry, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen next week, but I know it’s under serious consideration that we won’t follow through with it.”
Smith clarified, by not following through, she means by abandoning trapping as a whole.
During the Nov. 10 meeting, Ivey told the board the town wanted to pursue trap-and-release in 2021 but discovered the state only allows euthanasia or sending foxes to pens.
The request to trap foxes originated from the Ocean Isle Beach Turtle Protection Organization, mandated to protect local hatching grounds. Turtle protection coordinator Deb Allen told Port City Daily she does everything she can, as laid out by the state, to protect the turtles, but the reality is hatchlings are natural prey for foxes. However, her concern is really for her volunteers.
“For the last two years, when my volunteers have been at nests, foxes will be nearby,” Allen said. “And it’s dark, so you don’t know if that fox is 2 or 3 feet behind you. Those foxes are darting between my volunteers to get the hatchlings. Now, our concern is the fox should not be coming that close to people. Foxes are canines and will become food aggressive.”
Allen said volunteers are permitted to redirect disoriented hatchlings toward the water without touching them, so they could unwittingly stand directly between the hatchling and a fox, prompting the animal to bite.
She added none of the 100 volunteers who work with the organization have been attacked yet, but she wants to prevent an incident rather than respond after it happens. Smith said she is also not aware of any incidents of fox attacks in the town-at-large.
The canids started appearing on the island about 10 years ago, according to Allen. She is not sure how or why they showed up, but she confirmed seeing people feed them in public, without understanding the risk involved.
“They think it’s great, and cute,” Allen said. “These foxes now have absolutely zero fear of people.”
She has even recorded foxes following volunteers on an ATV and standing close to them at the nesting sites.
“That is not normal behavior,” Allen said. “They should turn and run away.”
Allen wants to dispel the idea, discussed by both the board, PETA and locals on social media, that trapping was ever intended to save turtles. She said it is purely a human safety issue.
A Nov. 29 newsletter from the town posted on Facebook is covered with comments suggesting the move is intended to sacrifice one animal to preserve another.
“You revere one animal, and demonize another. Leave beautiful foxes alone,” one comment reads.
Rickman noted when she watched the Nov. 10 meeting, the commissioners discussed the issue as affecting the turtles. Smith concurred.
Now, though, Allen said is not in favor of penning the foxes after learning more details about the practice.
Rickman said PETA lobbies to end the practice at every opportunity possible. She also said this is the first case it has encountered with a public entity looking to trap them.
“Usually we’re dealing with private entities trapping foxes and sending them to the pens,” Rickman said.
People involved in the practice try to fly under the radar because it’s “so very shameful,” she added — and the practice is something to which the general public would object.
Rickman was shocked by the lack of information officials had when they made the penning decision. She said killing individual foxes is not a solution to the problem either, suggesting the town should direct its efforts to prevent people from feeding wildlife instead.
“That’s so simplistic,” Allen said. “The town has been trying to do that for 10 years. We’ve had wildlife officers out to Ocean Isle Beach to talk to people, they’ve had town meetings, nobody stops. They don’t stop feeding the foxes, and then how do you manage that with visitors that change every Saturday during the summer? You can’t.”
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