Red muzzle and orange flash: the fox trapped by the melting ice in the Old Port of Montreal for ten days made the team see all the colors trying to rescue him, Sunday afternoon.
Posted at 6:29 p.m.
The canine was expected all day Sunday, lurking under the King-Edward wharf, where the Montreal Science Center is located. Around 4:45 p.m., he poked his nose out of his hiding place and then rushed onto the ice. A dozen rescuers, armed with nets, tried to catch him in a panting race, but the fox won the round. The animal took refuge under a floating dock, halfway to the Jacques-Cartier dock. As these lines were written, the rescue operation was still underway.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Around 4:45 p.m., the fox finally peeked out of its hiding place under the King-Edward wharf.
It has been ten days since this fox was seen on the ice, between the Jacques-Cartier wharf and the King-Edward wharf. “Our hypothesis is that he crossed on the ice of Dieppe Park Island,” explains Isabelle Vachon-Girard, deputy director general of Sauvetage Animal Rescue, the private organization responsible for the rescue operation. Dieppe Park is a small moorland located on the St. Lawrence River, opposite the Old Port.
The ice has since melted on this part of the river, preventing the fox from retracing its steps. According to the organization, it could be either an inexperienced fox cub, or a vixen who has had babies. Indeed, in theory, the animal should be able to swim back to where it came from, specifies Mme Vachon Girard. “If he doesn’t want to leave, it’s because he may have injuries,” she underlines.
Volunteer rescue
On this gray and rainy Sunday, the volunteer team of Sauvetage Animal Rescue has been on the scene since 10 am. Twenty people took part in the operation. Some of them, with nets, must try to catch the fox running. A boat sails along the edge of the ice, in case the animal, seized with panic, tries to jump into the water to save itself. A veterinarian is also on site to make an assessment after his capture.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
A dozen rescuers, armed with nets, tried to catch him in a panting race, but the fox won the round.
In the previous days, the team tried to capture the animal in a “soft” way, luring it into a cage with meat and even rabbit urine. Wasted effort. “All the conditions were there to lure him,” remarks Mme Vachon Girard. The team believes the fox was still able to hunt. The melting of the ice, coupled with the rain of the last few days, however, makes the hunting ground increasingly difficult for the animal. So it was time, she says, to switch to a so-called “dynamic” capture method.
Another fear: that visitors to the Old Port of Montreal see the fox in danger, on the ice, and try to help him. “For the health of the animal and given the issues of civil security, argues Mme Vachon-Girard, we believe that our operation is justified. »