Fox Wanders Through Sinatra Park In Hoboken

HOBOKEN, NJ — Last week, days after a fox was spotted in a Hoboken woman's uptown yard, there was another sighting.

While it's rare to see a fox in the mile-square city, a Hoboken resident posted the above photo of this creature ambling through Frank Sinatra Park on the waterfront on Wednesday.

It's intriguing to spot wildlife in an urban environment, but a recent report of a fox attack in Bergen County has some on edge.

READ MORE: Fox Spotted In Hoboken Yard Week After Attack

NJ Fox Attack

A woman was attacked by a fox in Montvale on Dec. 2. The 61-year-old woman was treated at the hospital and got a series of rabies shots, said police and reports.

Anyone bitten or scratched by an unvaccinated animal should get treated right away, as rabies is fatal.

Besides the fox attack, in the last two months, five people in Bergen County reported that they or their dogs were attacked by coyotes. Law enforcement officials found two coyotes after the attacks that tested positive for rabies. READ MORE: Coyote Kills Family Dog: Police

In one case, a family dog was killed in a coyote attack.

Experts in North Jersey said residents shouldn't be alarmed if they see a fox or coyote nearby — but should be careful if the animal behaves strangely.

Right now, the creatures are hoarding food for cold weather.

"A fox hunting at noon isn’t sick!" posted Bergen County Animal Control on social media last month. "They require extra prey for the cold weather. If a fox appears sick or 'mangy' and is still mobile meaning it can flee when approached Animal Control can not intervene. If the animal can’t flee definitely contact Animal Control...Whenever possible sick or injured animals will be transferred to an authorized rehabilitation facility."

Aggressive Animals

If a fox or coyote seems aggressive, it may be rabid.

On Nov. 24, police in Greenwich Township, in Warren County, posted on social media that residents should beware of a "dangerous" fox that "attacked a pet and walked into a resident’s garage. The fox was reported limping and injured."

According to the state of New Jersey, there are two species of foxes found in New Jersey: the red and gray fox. Foxes tend to attack small livestock and cats, but rarely humans, the state says.

"They frequently inhabit yards, parks, and golf courses, especially areas that adjoin suitable, undeveloped habitat," the state says. "Healthy foxes pose virtually no danger to humans. Foxes can grow accustomed to human activity but are seldom aggressive toward people."

Those who see a sick or aggressive fox, or even one acting "unusually friendly," should contact local police, or state officials.

"Foxes can carry the organisms responsible for several contagious diseases such as mange, distemper and rabies," the state says. "Animals that appear sick or that are acting abnormally should be avoided ... Local animal control officers, police, or Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Control Unit or the DEP Hotline (877-WARN-DEP). should be contacted if assistance is needed with a diseased animal." More information is here.

READ MORE: New Coyote Advisory Issued In Bergen County

Hoboken Wildlife

Two years ago, residents of Hoboken posted a flurry of photos online of wildlife seen around the mile-square city, including a coyote on 10th Street and either a coyote or fox near Observer Highway. READ MORE: Fox Or Coyote? Hoboken Residents Argue Over Newly Seen Wildlife

Some residents reported the sightings to police, but there were no reported injuries.

Hoboken's public safety spokesperson said last week that the police had not received reports of an aggressive fox.

Residents in North Jersey have speculated that development is pushing wild animals out of their habitats. Experts also said that during the pandemic, with fewer people on the streets and less pollution, animals were freer to roam.

Got a photo of unusual wildlife in North Jersey? Tell Patch.