However, when Missy Dubuisson, founder and director of Wild At Heart Rescue, saw a photo of the alleged chupacabra, she knew immediately the animal was nothing to be afraid of.
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“I told them, ‘Y’all, this is not a chupacabra. This is a fox with no fur,’” Dubuisson told The Dodo. “But you don’t see animals without fur here or anywhere, and if they do, they usually have a problem — an autoimmune disease or some type of skin issue.”
Dubuisson could see that the little fox was suffering from demodectic mange, a skin disease caused by mites burrowing into the fox’s hair follicles. “In stressful conditions or heat or when they become mature, these mites can just take over the fox’s body and cause an autoimmune response,” Dubuisson said.
The infection is easily treated — as long as someone could catch the fox.
Foxes typically evade normal traps, noted Dubuisson, and if the USDA was called in to trap the fox, the animal would most likely be euthanized.
Margaret Raines, a local feral cat rescuer, refused to let that happen. She bought a special trap, which she camouflaged with leaves and branches, and set up a camera. Over the course of 50 days, she left tempting snacks around the vicinity of the trap, hoping to earn the trust of the hungry fox.
Raines caught plenty of curious cats and possums, but the fox remained elusive. Then, one night in July, the hairless animal finally became curious enough to enter the trap.
Her rescuers were so excited when they found her there safe and sound:
When the fox arrived at the rescue, it was clear that she was uncomfortable and confused. But as her rescuers treated her skin condition and gave her medication for the pain, her spunky attitude returned.
"She was scared at first and very shy," Dubuisson said. "But now she realizes that she's getting her food, she's getting her strength back and she knows we're not gonna hurt her. They tend to trust you a little bit, but we never let them lose that wildness."