Pat Graveline was cutting her grass Friday morning when she was startled to see a fox standing near a lamp in her yard. Then she saw the animal bound down her driveway in the 6700 block of Main Street and scurry under a parked car across the street.

A Gloucester public works crew, doing patching work on Clements Avenue only yards away, grabbed their shovels and for the next 45 minutes or so frightened the fox to stay under the car until a Gloucester Animal Control officer could arrive. Deputy Jeff Stillman used a pole catcher with a noose to grab the fox, which administrative assistant/dispatcher Cheryl Johnson said was humanely put down.

The county workers—Derik Nelson, Brandon German and K. Burrell—also directed pedestrians and traffic around that area in front of the new Rev It Up Hot Rods shop trying to keep them from interacting with the fox. German said the owner of the car where the fox hunkered down was delayed from going to work because they didn’t want her to approach the vehicle.

The fox might have been rabid, being out during the daytime, Johnson said, but the Gloucester Health Department only tests wildlife that bit a person or other animals.

Johnson said the fox appeared to be either sick or injured. Initial reports are it was a young fox, perhaps born last year and more recently kicked out of the den by its mother when a new group of babies was born.

Like Graveline, neighbor Richard Scott said he was surprised to be cutting his lawn and see a fox. Both Graveline and Scott said they see raccoons and other animals sometimes but a fox sighting was new to them.

Johnson said there have been a number of fox sightings this year in the region, especially in the Route 17 Bypass/Main Street area. There seem to be more fox calls this year, Johnson said, as well as many raccoon calls. Also, she said two coyotes have been struck by motorists in the county recently.

Part of the problem with wildlife, Johnson said, is that they are accustomed to be in rural settings. Then, as a community becomes developed, the animals begin to change their habits.

For example, although they may usually come out at night, with more electric lights from the street, businesses and homes the animals are more accustomed to being out even in the daytime, Johnson said.

Another problem is that many people put out food for the animals. This only encourages more wildlife, some possibly rabid, to loiter near residential areas, she said, and animals will come out to eat at all hours when food is available.

Placing plastic garbage bags outside can be a problem as well, Johnson said, since animals smell scraps in the bags and readily can tear them to get to the goodies inside.

 Doug Hibbs, who owns The Courthouse Restaurant only a short distance from the scene, said that somebody in the busy restaurant saw the commotion outside and Hibbs came out for a good view. A number of people trying to reach the restaurant were directed away from the fox and told to walk across the street and then back over Main closer to the restaurant.