Mysterious ‘Arctic’ Animal Spotted In Oregon Leaves Couple Speechless
A few months ago, on what seemed like an ordinary day, Richard Melling and his wife were taking a stroll across the Sellwood Bridge in Portland, Oregon, when they came across a sight that left them completely speechless.
Just a few feet away, near the old railroad tracks, a small animal was curiously staring in their direction.
Her bright white fur seemed entirely out of place, almost as if she had been magically transported from the Arctic.
Despite her unusual appearance, the animal didn’t seem scared.
In fact, Richard later shared in a conversation with OregonLive that the animal was acting more like a playful puppy than a wild creature, happily batting around some plastic bags she found on the ground.
He said:
“It definitely looked wild, and it looked like a puppy. It was like a very, very happy puppy.”
However, Richard quickly realized that the snow-white creature wasn’t a dog.
He and his wife stopped about 40 feet away from the animal so they could record a video, which they later shared with OregonLive.
The video quickly grabbed the attention of biologists at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, who identified the animal as some type of fox, although they couldn’t pinpoint the exact species.
Biologist Benjamin Cate emailed OregonLive, explaining that while white fur is more common in red foxes than in gray foxes, the animal’s ears and snout didn’t quite match the typical red fox, making it an undeniably rare sight.
Since the animal appeared to be young, Benjamin also noted it made identification trickier. He added:
“This animal looks closer to an arctic fox than any fox native to our area. It is potentially some kind of hybrid animal that escaped from captivity, however, we can’t 100% rule out that it is a wild leucistic (white) gray fox either.”
Everything seemed to suggest that the animal was an arctic fox.
However, since this species is native to places like Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and northern Russia – all thousands of miles away from Oregon – that theory was quickly ruled out.
Zuriel Van Belle, the executive director of the Portland Urban Coyote Project, explained that while white coat mutations in animals from that region are normal – but definitely rare.
The fox was carefully captured and transported to the Wildlife Care Center of the Bird Alliance of Oregon, where they took over her care.
The team at Bird Alliance of Oregon quickly confirmed that the animal was indeed an arctic fox, who somehow made her way to their hometown.
While they were puzzled about the origin of this unique fox, they were even more intrigued by her friendly demeanor – which seemed to reveal a few clues about her past.
As they explained in their Facebook post:
“While we don’t have information yet on where the Arctic fox came from, or how she got to Portland, we believe the animal has only known a life of captivity. The fox doesn’t show a species appropriate fear response to people, and was actually approaching humans when rescued. We believe the fox either accidentally escaped from captivity or was intentionally dumped by the people who illegally held her.”
It’s important to remember that wild animals, like Arctic foxes, are not meant to be kept as pets. In fact, doing so can cause more harm than good.
As the Bird Alliance of Oregon stated:
“Unfortunately, this Arctic fox’s story is all too common. Wild animals aren’t pets, and treating them like domestic animals isn’t just dangerous for people, but it’s often a death sentence for wildlife. Even if they are rescued or removed from captivity, the animal will never be able to return to the wild.”
Despite all that this poor animal had been through, she was in surprisingly good health.
The dedicated team at the Bird Alliance of Oregon worked hard to ensure she was fed, hydrated, and comforted at all times, supporting her as she prepared for the next step in her journey.
I truly hope this beautiful fox eventually found a safe and natural home, where she could live as her true wild self.
