Some Dauphin Island residents concerned about the fate of a local fox named ‘Roxy’

By Ashlyn Mitchell

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    MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) — There are several talks… about a fox.

Some folks showed up to Dauphin Island Thursday morning to advocate for a fox named Roxy. Locals say Roxy is a hometown celebrity, and she’s often spotted on the west end of the Island.

Over the past couple of years, the Town of Dauphin Island has partnered with Mobile County, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, U.S. Department of the Interior, and other agencies to create the West End Bird Conservation and Development Plan. The goal of the plan is to turn the west end of the beach into a bird sanctuary.

In 2019, the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees in Alabama authorized funding to acquire the West End of Dauphin Island.

“Those funds were derived from the legal settlement specifically aimed at restoring birds that were injured by the DWH event. Additionally, the Trustees funded the development of this Dauphin Island West End Bird Conservation and Management Plan to ensure that bird restoration activities would be appropriately implemented and the acquisition was complete….this plan includes a prioritized list of site-specific management and conservation actions based on an assessment of habitat suitability and quality, bird species and use of information, and restoration activities.”

Dauphin Island West End Bird Conservation and Management Plan The plan also cites the negative impacts the current red fox population has on the birds and other species that they’re trying to protect.

Some locals, like Spence Harrison, now fear for the future of the foxes. Harrison is a wildlife enthusiast who has been photographing red foxes, including Roxy, for years.

“Roxy is an icon and an ambassador to the island. People that come here in the early mornings might see her standing over by the dunes. Fishermen on the beach know her well because she’ll stand next to them like a great blue heron will and look for a handout.”

Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier says extensive research has gone into the project over the past two years.

“This has been going on for a couple of years, so it’s taken a lot of research, a lot of field data- a lot of information went into this. This all came out of the Deepwater Horizon and the damages that it caused to the environment and the nesting habitats- all of the associated things so it’s very environmentally oriented here,” said Mayor Collier.

The development plan maintains red foxes and other predators can pose a threat to birds, causing nest failure. The plan suggests solutions like installing fencing, removing the predators, or trapping and relocating them.

“What they’re telling us with these field surveys that they’ve been doing for the last couple of years or more is that there is direct evidence that there are predators in that area- and it’s not just foxes. It’s a combination- it may be cats, it may be racoons, it could be pets,” added Mayor Collier.

Still, Harrison says he’s not happy and would prefer the foxes be left alone.

“Even the fact of relocating the foxes from an area like this to an area that’s wooded- it has it’s own predators, it has it’s own ecosystem,” said Harrison. “It would mess up the balance.”

Harrison says while he supports the bird conservation plans, he wants to ensure the foxes will be equally as protected, too.

“Don’t sacrifice one species over a dozen,” stated Harrison.

Harrison launched a petition that’s garnered thousands of signatures. Some of those signees showed up to Dauphin Island to voice their concerns.

“Save Roxy!”

“Foxes were here a long time before the people were so let’s just leave the foxes alone and let them be- and let Mother Nature take its course.”

“One of the reasons we came down here was because of the nature- I’ve seen some the foxes early in the morning. They do no harm. Maybe leave the foxes alone… because once you start with the ecosystem, you mess it up.”

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