Mysterious ‘Arctic’ Animal Spotted Near Railroad Tracks In Oregon Leaves Couple In Disbelief

One day, Richard Melling and his wife were crossing the Sellwood Bridge in Portland, Oregon, when they spotted something that left them utterly stunned.

Not far off, near the old railroad tracks, a small creature was intently watching them.

Her striking white fur looked completely out of place. She looked like she’d been whisked straight from the Arctic.

Even with her unusual look, the animal showed no signs of fear. In fact, Richard later told OregonLive that she behaved more like a playful puppy than a wild animal.

She happily batted around some plastic bags she’d discovered on the ground, as Richared said:

“It definitely looked wild, and it looked like a puppy. It was like a very, very happy puppy.”

But it didn’t take long for Richard to figure out that the snow-white creature wasn’t a dog.

He and his wife kept their distance, about 40 feet away, and recorded a video of the animal, which they later shared with OregonLive.

The video soon caught the eye of biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, who confirmed the animal was some kind of fox, though they couldn’t determine the exact species.

Biologist Benjamin Cate told OregonLive that while white fur is seen more often in red foxes than gray ones, the animal’s ears and snout didn’t quite fit the usual red fox profile, making it a truly rare sight.

Because the fox appeared to be young, Benjamin pointed out that identifying it was even more challenging, as he shared:

“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 pointed toward the animal being an arctic fox.

But since arctic foxes naturally live in places like Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and northern Russia, thousands of miles from Oregon, that idea was quickly dismissed.

Zuriel Van Belle, the executive director of the Portland Urban Coyote Project, explained that while white coat mutations do occur in animals from that area, they’re definitely rare.

The fox was soon captured and taken to the Wildlife Care Center of the Bird Alliance of Oregon, where she began receiving care.

The team there soon confirmed that she really was an arctic fox who somehow made her way all the way to their city.

Though they were baffled about where this rare fox had come from, they were even more curious about her friendly nature, which hinted at a story behind her past. The center shared in a 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 crucial to keep in mind that wild animals, such as Arctic foxes, aren’t meant to be pets. In reality, trying to keep them can often do more harm than help. The center added:

“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 everything this poor animal had endured, she was in remarkably good health.

The team at the Bird Alliance of Oregon worked tirelessly to keep her fed, hydrated, and comfortable, and supported her as she readied for the next chapter of her life.

I sincerely hope this beautiful fox eventually found a safe, natural home where she could truly live wild and free.