By Julianna Nelson-Gaudette
Features Editor
Skipping through Martha Washington Square, panting under a tree on the green or mingling with orientation week crowds, a few new friends have recently made themselves at home on Washington College’s campus.
On Aug. 14, Ryan Colman, Executive Director of Campus Police, issued a campus-wide email about a skulk of foxes that had been reported on campus over the course of the summer.
This is not the first time foxes have been charmed by the allure of college life. Last year, Lunch the fox touched many hearts, quickly becoming a campus celebrity.
Calls to Campus Police requesting or inquiring about the removal of the foxes have been so far denied.
According to Colman, the foxes would have to become an imminent threat to community members to justify their removal.
“Because they are not currently presenting a threat or exhibiting concerning behavior, their presence alone does not warrant removal by Campus Police, Animal Control, or the Maryland Natural Resources Police,” Colman said.
“Our overall message is really just to respect their space and enjoy seeing them from a distance,” Colman said.
Colman advises that community members give the animals space and avoid approaching, feeding, touching, or chasing the foxes. While the foxes usually scurry past people on their own, preventative measures will ensure that aggravation does not occur.
In the unlikely event that a fox encounters someone and is exerting unusual or aggressive behaviors, the passerby should remain calm and slowly leave the area, finding a nearby building to ensure complete safety. Attempting to corner or care for an injured or aggravated fox is the responsibility of neither campus police nor civilians and will be handled by the appropriate wildlife authorities.
Senior Sarabeth Metzger saw a fox outside of the Eugene B. Casey Academic Center.
“They’re in their natural environment so educating others is a smart plan … As long as we as students remain respectful, it should work out just fine,” Metzger said.
According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Habitat Service, “The red fox is capable of learning from experience, which has earned it the ‘cunning’ namesake in literature. This clever nature, its adaptability and careful management, ensure that the red fox will roam the Chesapeake Bay watershed for many generations to come.”
A mix of wetlands, suburban life and grassy, open fields, makes Chestertown a good home for a fox looking to avoid predators while getting closer to their next meal.
Campus Police do not plan to forcibly remove the foxes. They are monitored closely, with each report recorded and investigated to identify any changes in behavior, if present.
While encountering foxes on the way to breakfast may be jarring, Colman assures anxious onlookers that they are simply existing in their natural environment.
Photo Caption: Campus police advise students to maintain distance from wild animals.
Photo courtesy of Sarabeth Metzger