It was not the only road-kill I had seen that day.
But, for some reason, I turned around and pulled over to the side of County Road 124 where the fox was lying. My first thought was to bury it. I felt sorry for the wee thing.
I stood over it and admired its reddish coat, the fur on its legs that look like black stockings to me, and the black tips of its ears. Then it breathed.
A shock went through me. It was motionless, but breathing. Even though it only had a mark on its forehead, it looked dead, as if it had no strength left but to breathe.
I have to admit I drove down the road and borrowed my friends’ axe. I came back and was trying to prepare myself. This was the holiday Monday and I was trying to wait for a moment with no traffic, to give the fox some peace at the end, or avoid creating an impression of the locals as axe-wielding weirdos. As I hesitated, the fox opened its eyes and tried to get up, not getting far, then dropped back down. I decided I couldn’t kill it.
I put some work gloves on in case it became scared and would try to bite me.
I laid it on a blanket I keep in the car, and brought it home. Then things happened fast.
2-1-1 gave me the number for a wildlife rescue centre in Stayner.
The woman, Diane, said she would end up taking the fox to the Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) in Minden, and suggested I call them directly.
Within 10 minutes of calling, Monika from WWS, I was on the phone with a volunteer arranging to meet her halfway in Orillia.
The fox had three seizures on the way, which was unnerving. But Elizabeth, the driver phoned me the next morning to say the fox had lived through the night and had once tried to climb out of the box I had made for her.
Attempted escape is a good sign. And that day would be the regular weekly visit of the wildlife vet who donates her time. The timing was good.
Several days after first finding her I learned the female fox has been named Tammy.
She was still running a fever but could now swallow liquids and stood up once with assistance.
She had been on an IV with medication to reduce the swelling in her brain.
They won’t know for a while whether or not Tammy has brain damage but they think she will pull through. And when she is able, she will be released.
I know how easily this could have turned out differently, with the fox dying for no other reason than it was trying to cross a busy road.
It is uplifting to see people give their time, skills and resources to help someone other than themselves. And as it turns out, there is a male fox, Todd, at the sanctuary recovering from head trauma too.
The romantic in me can hear the woodland party introduction: “This is Tammy and Todd. They met at rehab.”
The Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary will be posting an update on Tammy on its Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WWSanctuary.
I am planning to collect and deliver any food, caging, bedding, medical, cleaning and building supplies I can collect by mid-September.
To donate, contact Jennifer Johne at 519-922-3168, or jennifer_johne@yahoo.com.
The Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary has a wish list and information about what to do if you find orphaned or injured wildlife, on its website at www.woodlandswildlifesanctuary.ca.
There is also a map of other centres at www.ontariowildliferescue.ca.