For Kids - Meet Our Animals

TYLER & HUGO

The Zoo's two red foxes, brothers Tyler and Hugo, were originally found by a member of the public. They thought that they had been abandoned by their mother, and they brought the kits to the zoo to see if we could take care of them. Of course, we said yes.

At the time, their fur was dark in color and each had a white tip on the end of their tail. They needed to be fed every few hours so we took them home to hand raise them, and then they would come to work with us during the day. We named them "Tyler" and "Hugo". Tyler has a small spot on his face and a longer muzzle than Hugo.

As they got older, we introduced them to baby food and then meat. Eventually, their appearance began to change. Most of their fur started to lighten up; however, their legs and the back of their ears darkened to black.

Now the foxes are full-grown and have handsome red coats. They get a diet that consists of a specially formulated hard food and additional food items. This includes mice, fruit, fish, and insects. Foxes in the wild are omnivorous, which means that they eat both meat and fruit.

Currently, Tyler and Hugo are being used for education programs and can be seen on exhibit at the Zoo.

You should never take animals from the wild without checking with the zoo or a wildlife rehabilitator. Also, you should never keep wild animals as pets because they cannot be tamed. They can still bite and will tear apart your house.

Click here to learn more about the Red Fox.