Don’t feed Signal Hill foxes, photographer says

Chelsey Lawrence didn’t have to wait long to get the shot of her dreams on Signal Hill.

When the photographer showed up one early morning in May 2022, three foxes were in the empty parking lot, racing, playing and wrestling with each other before running off again.

They were the most daring ones to approach people, Lawrence knew from her time working for Parks Canada at the national historic site, and from frequenting the area.

She got her camera ready and after five short minutes the magic happened: an orange fox wrestled with a silver fox, both barking, with Cabot Tower as the backdrop.

The wrestle only lasted for two to four seconds.

“I was over the moon,” Lawrence told Saltwire. “I’ve never felt so lucky behind the camera.”

RELOCATION

While the photo went viral on Facebook this November, those particular foxes are long gone — three months after the snap, Parks Canada announced it had relocated the foxes.

Lawrence heard the foxes, smart and curious, had learned to approach people and started to take food from people’s hands. Parks Canada officials decided it was a preventive measure to trap and relocate them.

“One of these days, they’re going to hop in a car, bite a child who is offering food or something worse,” said Lawrence.

She said the problem has started anew as more foxes have since moved into the area.

Lawrence says the takeaway is to never feed wildlife.

“In short, keep your distance and respect them by understanding they can easily fend for themselves,” she said.

“You can absolutely go and see them and admire them, but please don’t feed them or entice them to come closer to you. A fed fox is a dead fox.”