Campus a little foxier this spring

By By Nate Karlin

Wednesday, April 27, 2005



A family of foxes have taken up residence in between Robinson Gymnasium and the Computer Science building. Relocation for the animals is not necessary at this time.

Kelly Hutsell/KANSAN

A family of foxes have taken up residence in between Robinson Gymnasium and the Computer Science building. Relocation for the animals is not necessary at this time.

What is no bigger than a large hand and can make two cars come to a screeching halt? A baby fox playing on Sunnyside Avenue between Robinson Gymnasium and Summerfield Hall.

Blake Henshaw, West Point, N.Y., junior, saw a fox in the street Tuesday morning when he was walking up the stairs next to Robinson.

Henshaw first saw the family of foxes last weekend as he drove back from his brother’s house on Indiana Street, he said.

He said he enjoyed seeing the foxes, but he was also worried about them living by the street.

Henshaw called the KU Public Safety Office about the foxes and was told the office knew about them. Nothing would be done about relocating the animals, though, Henshaw said.

Foxes can be found throughout Lawrence, but they like living on campus for its open spaces and slow-moving cars, said Robert Timm, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

The litter of foxes is nothing new to the campus. This litter is probably related to a litter of pups that was born last year behind Bailey Hall, he said.

As long as people don’t cause problems for the fox pups, the University shouldn’t take action to remove them because they aren’t causing problems, either, Timm said.

The biggest problem the foxes cause is eating food residents lay out for their cats, but not many people mind feeding a fox pup every now and then, he said.

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“If we have a live-and-let-live attitude then we shouldn’t have a problem,” Timm said.

That’s the kind of attitude Wayne Reusch, assistant director of landscaping, has.

“If someone wants something done about them, they can call a dog catcher,” Reusch said.

He said he often encounters wild animals on campus at night and in the early morning.

Rheuben Johnson, owner of A Bee’s Keepers and Animal Control in Kansas City, Kan., said University officials should contact a pest service or animal control if they want any wild animals removed from campus.

The foxes could help beautify the campus by eating roadkill and dropped food. They also eat rabbits, squirrels, insects and mice. At this time of year, the foxes will eat mostly nuts because not much food is available, Timm said.

He said the bottom line was that people should appreciate the wildlife that graces the University campus.

Edited by Jesse Truesdale

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