Rare silver fox spotted by an astonished driver in south Wales

Fantastic silver fox! Rare animal is spotted trotting across a road by an astonished driver in south Wales

• Silver fox was spotted walking across an empty road by an astonished driver
• Rare animal is believed to be a pet that escaped from its owner’s home nearby  
• The video was recorded in an Asda car park in Barry, Wales at around 10pm

A rare-breed silver fox has been spotted in a supermarket car park late at night scavenging for food.

Connor Michael was astonished to find the animal, believed to be an escaped pet, wandering around outside an Asda in Barry, south Wales.

Footage shows the curious fox running in front of a car with what appears to be food in its mouth.

The impressive grey predator doesn’t appear to be too bothered by Connor, who had driven to get petrol, and happily sits in front of them.

Silver foxes are incredibly rare in the wild, and are the same species as the red fox but just have a different coloured coat.

It is believed the animal could be one of two silver foxes kept as pets by someone who lives nearby, with previous reports of the foxes having escaped in 2018.

Connor, who recorded the footage, said: ‘I pulled in for some petrol and noticed a beautiful animal in the car park which I thought may have been a lost dog at first, so I drove over to have a look.

A rare-breed silver fox has been spotted in a south Wales supermarket car park late at night scavenging for food

‘I thought it was strange that it was so tame, as there were others nearby who were just as bewildered as me and were looking on amazement.

‘I had no idea at the time that it was just a rare variant of the red fox, when I found out I was amazed because they are a very rare sight.

‘I have seen normal foxes but they always seem to be very wary and cautious with humans, which made this sight even more unusual.

Connor Michael was astonished to find the animal, believed to be an escaped pet, wandering around outside an Asda in Barry, south Wales

‘It was incredibly friendly and just appeared hungry as it was eating something in the video.

‘I asked my friends and family if they have seen any before and they hadn’t, they were just as surprised as I was and said I was lucky to have seen one, especially as it so tame.

‘I wanted to go closer to get a better photo, but I didn’t want to scare it off either, according to superstition they are meant to be bad luck but I think I was the exact opposite as they are so rare.’

WHAT ARE SILVER FOXES?  

Silver foxes are the same species (Vulpes vulpes) as the red foxes living wild in the UK.

They are exactly the same except for their different colouration.

Silver foxes are bred for their fur but are now sometimes kept as ‘pets’.

The weight and length of these foxes can range greatly depending upon their respective geographic locations. 

On average, as adults they weigh 11 to 15 pounds (5 to 7 kilograms), their length from head to tail can reach up to 40 inches (1 meter) long.

The RSPCA advises anyone thinking of getting a pet to fully research the animal’s specific needs before making a decision. 

Exotic pets can live a long time, grow to a large size and need to be taken a specialist vet if they become ill, which can be expensive.

Foxes are wild animals with very specific needs no different to foxes living in the wild and they require specialist care. 

Even the most experienced fox experts have had difficulty keeping domesticated animals successfully. The RSPCA does not advise or condone keeping foxes as pets.

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