Fox Trapped On Floating Dock In Barnegat Bay Safe, Rescuer Says

SEASIDE PARK, NJ — A red fox that captured the attention of animal lovers over the weekend after it got stuck on a floating dock that broke loose in Seaside Park is safe, an animal rescuer said Tuesday.

Shane Coyle had been trying to trap the fox near his home for weeks to get it care before it got stuck on the jetski dock. On Tuesday afternoon, after first believing the fox had not survived, was elatedly sharing that the fox, which he has called Little Foot or Ziggy, was alive.

"It's absolutely amazing," Coyle said in a video update. He said the fox was in rough shape but was eating, which was a positive sign.

Ziggy is being treated in a veterinary hospital, veterinarian Mei-An Raicer of Bayshore Veterinary Hospital said in a video shared by Coyle. The fox has been given antibiotics and pain medication, along with medication to treat mites that have created numerous scabs on his ears and face, she said. She shared video of the fox with Patch; you can view it on YouTube.

The fox first garnered attention Saturday morning when a photo showing it standing on the floating dock made the rounds on social media. The response was rapid, with people all over calling for anyone to help get the animal off the dock to safety, especially with the storm on Sunday bearing down.

The Seaside Park Volunteer Fire Company said the fire company was alerted to the fox on Saturday morning and sent a team of rescue swimmers, launching two jet skis and a boat from the bay front to try to rescue the fox but the ice on the bay — which was too thin to support the weight of a rescuer — and strong currents made for extremely dangerous conditions, the company said.

At that point the jetski dock was about 50 yards onto the ice and the fox was not staying on the dock, the fire company said.

"The fox took off running every time rescuers got close to it," the fire company said.

An air boat was used at one point to try to reach the fox but authorities had to turn back because of the ice on the bay.

Karen Cooper of Cooper's Fox Den explained some of the difficulties facing the rescuers on Sunday, saying the shallow depth of the bay and the ice created significant challenges.

Coyle said a number of people offered help in trying to find the fox, including USAR Drone team, which searched for the fox with a thermal scan but could not find him. He also cited Cooper for providing advice and expertise as Coyle tried to help the fox.

Early Tuesday, after searching for the fox for two days without success, Coyle said he was convinced Ziggy had died.

Then he got a call Tuesday morning and his daughter was able to confirm the fox was alive. Ziggy had ice on his tail and was thin, but was receiving treatment from a veterinarian on Tuesday night, Coyle said.

You can see Coyle's video thanking everyone for their assistance.

Seaside Park fire officials urged people to be understand the dangers posed by the extreme cold and the ice on Barnegat Bay.

"Conditions on the bay are extremely dangerous. Anyone not properly equipped who fell into the water would quickly succumb to hypothermia and potentially drown," the fire company said. "We are urging the public to stay out of the bay and off the ice. Failing to do so will most likely result in you becoming a victim requiring our team to risk serious personal injury in attempting to rescue you."

Cooper said the outpouring of emotions for the fox was understandable, but there are dangers that go with dealing with wild animals. Foxes are rabies vector animals and if someone is bitten, the fox must be killed to be sure it does not have rabies, she said.

"People want to badly to help," Cooper said. "Sometimes things can't be done and can't be done safely."