COLUMBIA, S.C. — A startling encounter between a fox and Stephanie Doyle, a Lower Richland resident caught on her home's security cameras, is raising concern for her safety and the fox.
Doyle says while emptying her car on Monday night, she and her small dog were approached by a wild fox.
“So I went around and picked her up and then I went around to the back of the car and started screaming at the fox to get it to just go away,” said Doyle. “And it started going away and then it made a 180 and it started running towards me.”
This is not her first encounter on her property. Doyle says foxes frequently visit her land, leaving her worried about safety.
“My fear is that at some point it’s going to come at me for my dog, and she weighs five pounds," Doyle said. "I mean she’s easy prey and she doesn’t go out without me but you know I should be able to let my dog go out not on a leash in my backyard.”
Doyle reached out to Richland County Animal Control and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
She discovered the responsibility for handling wild animals like the fox fell on her as the property owner.
Doyle received a quote for over $1,000 to have the fox trapped and removed.
“I was stunned to find out that it was my responsibility fully,” said Doyle. “There was no county agency, there was no state agency, there was nobody who would come out to help with this problem.”
Kevin Ohalpin from Blythewood Wildlife Removal says foxes are looking for food and shelter but people and their pets should be mindful around them.
“Small animals and cats because, yes, the foxes may look at them as prey,” said Ohalpin. “Basically, they should not approach the fox. If the fox does charge them, they should just make a loud sound. Hopefully, it will scare them away a lot of times if they are looking for food or shelter, especially when they have cubs but nine times out of ten, they are looking for a food source.”
Ohalpin says as more residential developments go up, it leads to more wild animals in neighborhoods.
“They’re just wildlife, you know? And with all the building that’s going on, they’re losing more of their ground,” said Ohalpin. “And they’re becoming more frequent in residential areas because of all the building.”
WLTX called the Department of Natural Resources and they confirmed to us that residents do have the right to defend themselves if a fox approaches them but not if a fox is on their land passing though.