Injured Fox Spotted Near Orchard School

One of but eluded capture again this morning, police confirmed early Thursday afternoon.

Police have responded to numerous calls of at least one sick fox–described by some residents as 'bold' and 'mangy'–in Ridgewood's West Side before but when officers arrived at a resident's home on Gardner Road, the fox was gone, police said.

The fox in the resident's yard was reported to have had injuries though the nature of them is not known.

Resident Rik Jones told Patch in late fall that he'd seen a fox at the playground at and was concerned after his young daughter "made a bee-line" toward the animal.

"The fox just stood there," Jones said in a phone conversastion shortly after the incident. His daughter was unharmed, but still, he had concerns, particularly as the animal was clearly not well.

"They're bold and that's really scary....If the fox felt threatened, who knows what it would have done," he said.

Orchard School Principal Margaret Loonam said in a previous interview that the school had warned parents, teachers and students of the animal's presence and says proper precautions have been taken to ensure safety.

The area, near Dunham Trail, is heavily wooded with a wide variety of wildlife and residents know of at least two foxes–one healthy, one in alarmingly poor condition they say.

Residents and various authorities who have spoken to Patch have remarked they're stunned the fox is still alive.

Residents are asked to call police if they spot a wild animal that appears in poor health displaying strange behavior; animal control will be dispatched if necessary.

See a video Rik Jones shot of the healthy red fox in the neighborhood here.