People Out, Red Foxes In

**Meddle** · July-19-09, 04:36 AM

"Lamont, Lamont, It's the BIG one!! I'm comin' to ya' Elizabeth!"

OK, OK, not that Redd Fox, the little furry ones.

Many neighborhoods have so few remaining houses that adjoining lots resemble small prairies and woodlands, and freeways and old railroad connections linking the inner city to less populated areas now serve as routes for wildlife.

“As we move out, wildlife moves in,” said Matthew Walter, a fox researcher at Antioch University’s New England campus in New Hampshire. “Nature heals the cuts that we’ve made. As long as they can survive there, and as long as they can raise young and if the hunting is good, they will stay there indefinitely.”

Just over 900,000 people live within Detroit’s 139 square miles, compared with more than 1.8 million who called the city home in 1950. More are expected to flee.

http://freep.com/article/20090719/NEWS01/90719007/

lilpup · July-19-09, 06:47 AM

This really isn't a big deal. If stray dogs can survive so can foxes. Suburbs like Canton and Plymouth have had them all along.

**Meddle** · July-19-09, 06:55 AM

Yeah, but if you could get the people of Plymouth and Canton to move into new housing downtown, the foxes could have their own habitat back and the tax base for the city would improve.

Think of it. With the amount of clear space available for redevelopment, some great houses could be built on an acre or so of land close to the river. Commute times would be down for those that work downtown. Less pollution. You could get a better house on a bigger plot for less money than the outburbs.

It wouldn't take too many $200,000 houses to give the city a shot of new life.

**catch22** · July-19-09, 06:56 AM

Not such a big deal. Foxes have been on the Ford HQ property in Dearborn since at least 1995 when I was a contractor in the FMCC Building.

**ddaydetroit** · July-19-09, 07:36 AM

My son does landscaping in Grosse Point and on a few occasions has seen fox chasing pheasant

**gnome** · July-19-09, 07:38 AM

When did anyone see whitetail deer in Detroit? Maybe tied to a front bumper, but I seriously doubt there are any deer downtown?

Sounds to me the author is one of those poor souls who was told by their editior to find a new angle to the Detroit Mess. The tilt of the article makes it sound that wildlife moved in last fall.

**gazhekwe** · July-19-09, 08:40 AM

I saw a deer near 9 Mile and Evergreen Thursday, only a mile from Detroit.

2blocksaway · July-19-09, 09:45 AM

The foxes in Palmer Park had at least 3 babies this year.

**jcole** · July-19-09, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

When did anyone see whitetail deer in Detroit? Maybe tied to a front bumper, but I seriously doubt there are any deer downtown?

Sounds to me the author is one of those poor souls who was told by their editior to find a new angle to the Detroit Mess. The tilt of the article makes it sound that wildlife moved in last fall.

The deer from Belle Isle used to escape all the time and wander onto Jefferson. Are there still some over there or did they relocate all of them somewhere else?

**Gary** · July-19-09, 10:00 AM

gazhekwe...I've seen those deer at 9 and Evergreen too. A few weeks ago, I saw two of them dash across 9 Mile about 50 feet in front of my car. That wooded area on both sides of 9 Mile west of Evergreen is home to all kinds of critters.

**Meddle** · July-19-09, 10:20 AM

Rouge Park too.

**gazhekwe** · July-19-09, 10:21 AM

I hear you, Gary. This deer was in the backyard of a house on the northeast corner of Mapleridge and Nine Mile, east of Evergreen. The Evergreen Giant, that big wooded area on the southwest corner, is a wonderful place. We live less than a mile from there, and have seen deer, fox, coyote in our yard, as well as the more ordinary skunks, raccoons and possum. I figure the predators are keeping the pests down around here.

**Gary** · July-19-09, 11:23 AM

gazhekwe, I used to live in that neighborhood too...on Dorset 1 block east of Evergreen between 8 & 9 Mile. I never saw signs of foxes or coyoyes, but I sure saw plenty of skunks, possums, racoons, rabbits and even a few moles and gophers. Them varmits are mighty resilient.

So the name of that wooded area is the Evergreen Giant? Never knew that until now. The area around Evergreen just south of 8 Mile was once called Southfield Woods [[according to the Henry Ford HS website), I'm guessing that whole section was once part of the same tract in the days before residential development.

**gazhekwe** · July-19-09, 11:36 AM

Yes, they renamed it Bauervic Woods, but it was called Evergreen Giant when we moved here in the 80s.

**cmd** · July-19-09, 11:50 AM

I've seen deer grazing along eight mile near that WJR building [[although i think thats oak park?. I've also seen dead deer along southfield freeway in detroit. so if their not downtown yet, their definitely on their way. also if a coyote can live and raise pups on the grounds of fairlane mall[[that was 7 years ago) i'm sure deer can find a way downtown. Especially with the explosive deer population and all the abandoned railways and vacant land that leads to the river, its just natural.

**DetroitArmy** · July-19-09, 12:33 PM

They writer actually grew up in Detroit and covers the city for the AP. I actually spoke with him on the phone. Somewhat of a fluff piece I would agree, but I dont think he had any "motive" for writing the story as implied by other posters.

**Fnemecek** · July-19-09, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

When did anyone see whitetail deer in Detroit? Maybe tied to a front bumper, but I seriously doubt there are any deer downtown?

Sounds to me the author is one of those poor souls who was told by their editor to find a new angle to the Detroit Mess. The tilt of the article makes it sound that wildlife moved in last fall.

Actually, I saw a white tail deer in my neighborhood toward the end of May. That's not downtown, obviously, but it is within the city limits.

Oh, and I've been seeing lots and lots of rabbits. http://warrendale.blogspot.com/2009/06/welcome-to-rabbit-range.html

This, of course, means that the things that eat rabbits - such as foxes - will probably show up sooner or later.

**Homer** · July-19-09, 01:14 PM

Rabbits? Yes. One hopped in front of me while driving down Trumbull near Forest the other day. My first thought was, Dang look at that rat jumping....

**Meddle** · July-19-09, 01:57 PM

^^^^ OK, there's gotta be a City Council joke in there somewhere.

**Waltbaby01** · July-19-09, 04:45 PM

I've seen a few deer around Rouge Park over the past few years. Three times, I've played Rouge Golf Course, and stared at a huge buck standing right in the middle of the fairway.

**BillyBBrew** · July-19-09, 06:28 PM

There have been reports of a deer sighted in one of the Indian Village Gardens. Ironically red foxes have been on Zug Island for at least the last 15 years. I had that we fed regularly. She was somewhat tame and would sit on the porch and hang out and eventually brought her kits up for food after she had them. Very pretty animals.

**3rdDegreeBurns** · July-19-09, 07:34 PM

A friend of mine saw a deer in his backyard in East English Village a couple of months ago. I've had at 20 rabbit sightings in Lafayette Park so far this year. No fox sightings yet but I keep hoping...