Rare black fox spotted roaming the streets

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.”

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.”

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.

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