A red fox found sick at the Ohio State Scarlet and Gray golf course in mid-July was released Sept. 20 after undergoing treatment at the Ohio Wildlife Center. The animal, one of six known to live in the wooded area surrounding the OSU golf course, was infected with sarcoptic mange, a potentially fatal illness in red foxes when left untreated.
OSU golf course workers found the animal on the course during morning hours, an unusual time for foxes to be seen.
“We don’t commonly see them during the day,” said Steve Bugno, golf course greenskeeper. “They usually only come out when it’s dark.”
Concerned about the fox, Dave Beattie, assistant superintendent of the golf course, first contacted the Upper Arlington Animal Control Department, which referred him to the Ohio Wildlife Center.
Founded in 1984 by Dr. Donald Burton, the Ohio Wildlife Center is the largest wildlife rehabilitation center in the state and is a private, non-profit organization run by a staff comprised almost entirely of volunteers.
Burton, executive director of the Ohio Wildlife Center, was interested in treating the animal. However, because of the shy nature of foxes, he said it was difficult to get close enough to trap the fox before it ran away.
“It was right in the middle of the golf course,” Burton said. “We had to chase it with golf carts.”
Burton sedated the animal with a tranquilizer dart and brought it to the Ohio Wildlife Center, located at 2661 Billingsley Road, to treat it for sarcoptic mange, a fairly common illness among red foxes caused by small mites that burrow into the skin. As few as 15 mites can cause the infection, which results in excessive scratching and fur loss, Burton said.
“It looked pretty bad,” Burton said. “This particular fox had an aggressive form of it. Without treatment, it would most likely have died of self-mutilation by scratching and loss of blood.”
The fox was treated with a series of injections of Invermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, before making a complete recovery. It was safely released to the wooded area on the edge of the golf course.
The fox was one of about 3,950 animals treated at the Ohio Wildlife Center this year.
“We are dedicated to improving people’s awareness of native wildlife and increasing appreciation of native wildlife through rehabilitation and education,” Burton said.
Burton, a three-time graduate from OSU, holds a bachelor of science degree in zoology, a master’s of science in fish and wildlife medicine, and a doctorate in veterinary medicine.
