Photo by US Capitol.

Photo by US Capitol.

It has been a disastrous few days for wildlife in D.C. Less than a week after a rare Snowy Owl was hit by a Metrobus and SUV in downtown D.C., a dead fox was found on the I-395 offramp that leads to the House office buildings. Yes, it appears the Capitol Hill Fox is dead.

The news was noted on Twitter by John Noonan, spokesman for House Armed Services Committee Republicans, and Washington Times reporter Jacqueline Klimas. Department of Public Works spokesperson Linda Grant confirms that the remains of a fox were picked up near the Capitol today.

Of course, there’s no way to confirm that the dead fox found is indeed the Capitol Hill Fox recently spotted roaming the Capitol grounds. But as National Park Service ranger Mary Willeford Bair previously told DCist, foxes “have established territories.”

Update: Here’s new information from Willeford Bair, who gathers that it may not have been the The Capitol Hill Fox killed: “Lots of animals meet their demise due to trying to occupy the same space as a motor vehicle. Due to lack of predators in an urban environment, we would be overrun with too many foxes if it were not for traffic deaths. Many of the animals killed are either young (inexperienced in summer and dispersing out of parent’s territory in fall) or old (evicted from comfortable home range by other foxes. We recently had an old male that was hit by a car and not in original home range from a year earlier.)

Also, perhaps it will be some comfort for you to know that the “tracking” of the movements of the “Capitol Hill Fox” are actually sightings of many different animals. Foxes have territories. Right now, many males are on the move looking for females since we are in the breeding season. I would not be surprised if it was a male mile(s) from his regular home range.”

Quick: Here’s a photo of the Snowy Owl, who is continuing to improve. Stay alive, majestic bird. We need you.

Post by City Wildlife.
Filed Under: capitol hill fox, wild animals,