What About The Fox That Crossed Route 59

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — A fox with a beautiful bushy tail was caught on video trying — and succeeding, yes, it's safe to watch — to cross Route 59 near the Palisades Center.

We weren't the only ones wondering "why did the fox cross the road?" Specially that road, where cars have been known to hit pedestrians.

SEE:

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• Pedestrian Struck By SUV On Route 59: Clarkstown Police
• Teen Driver Blames Sun Glare After Hitting Pedestrian On Route 59: Cops
• Heavy Traffic In Ramapo After Pedestrian Struck By Vehicle

"The animal seen in the News 12 video is a red fox, one of the two species of foxes found in New York," Wildlife Biologist Mandy Watson of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation told Patch. "Although the Palisades mall area might seem like a bad place for a fox, that area has a lot of local parks and greenspaces that provide good habitat for foxes and other wildlife."

Watson said red foxes can be found throughout the state, are common in suburbia, and are often seen in areas with significant amount of development. Plus, as coyotes, which prey on foxes, have become more widespread throughout New York, red foxes have been pushed into more developed areas.

The fox was probably not rabid, she said.

"It is a common myth that foxes seen during the day are rabid. While foxes are most active at night, it is not uncommon to see them out occasionally during the day," she said.

In fact, daytime activity tends to be highest in the summer, when adults are trying to get food to feed growing pups.

"We also get more reports of foxes seen during the day in late summer and early fall, when young are dispersing into new areas. This may be a young animal moving out that got itself into a bad situation with the road," she said. "Late summer and fall is the time when young foxes are starting to disperse into new territories. They are often more visible during this time as they travel to new areas and figure out how to best survive on their own."

You can also learn more from the Humane Society of the United States: What to do about foxes.