💓 That JOY when a baby realizes they have a family again. Foxes are extraordinarily social, emotional, familial creatures. Like many other wild animals being rehabbed, it’s CRITICAL that they be raised with litter mates so they can develop properly (good species-specific “social skills” are a must for a successful release back into the wild). I oftentimes get calls from fellow rehabbers who’ve received a singleton fox kit in asking if I can take the baby, because they know how critical socialization is for intakes. I always commend rehabbers for this! …Because honestly, I’ve ALSO seen a lot of newer rehabbers, rehabbers who don’t usually receive fox calls, rehabbers who don’t have the adequate setup for a rapidly-growing kit to exercise its muscles correctly in a big enclosure, etc. that simply want to raise one or two kits because a) they’re adorable and b) they’re cooler than a lot of smaller mammal intakes (I’m biased, I know, but it’s true 😎). Sadly, a lack of littermates and a lack of adequate housing (and/or too much socializing near other species if a rehabber’s space doesn’t have somewhere fox-specific to house them) can do a lot of damage during that critical growth period in the weeks leading up to release age. So moral of the story: Baby foxes need friends. 🦊 #wildliferehab #redfox #rescue