Animal rescuer who nursed injured red fox back to health is shocked to find his fur was actually white – but the creature was so dirty and unwell he appeared brown

• Bo, a red fox, was brought into a wildlife rescue in Wirral, Merseyside, last month
• He was found injured in a garden and was unable to open his eyes due to scabs
• Rescuers thought he had brown fur, but received a shock after cleaning him
• His fur was actually white – he has leucism, giving him lighter pigmented fur

An animal rescuer who nursed an injured red fox back to health was shocked to discover his fur was actually white.

When Bo was brought into a wildlife rescue centre in the Wirral, Merseyside, last month, staff there initially thought his fur was brown.

But it turned out he was so dirty and unwell that it was hiding a secret – that he has leucism, a rare condition where his fur’s pigmentation is so light it appears almost white.

When he was brought into Pawprints Wildlife Rescue the poor animal could barely open his eyes as he was covered in scabs, but now just a month later he has been released back into the wild after making a full recovery. 

Bo the fox, pictured here covered in dirt after being brought into the Pawprints Wildlife Rescue

Bo the fox pictured after he had been cleaned up, with his white fur much easier to see

Gray Taylor, from the centre, caught Bo in a trap after receiving a call from a local woman about a fox that had turned up in a state in her garden.

The 36-year-old spent three weeks brushing Bo’s fur and giving him eye drops and started to see the fox’s true lighter pigment fur as he returned back to health.

Now Bo has been released back into the wild and ‘shot out the carrier.’

Gray, who runs the fox unit at Pawprints Wildlife Rescue, from the Wirral, Merseyside, said: ‘Bo’s eyes were shut by scabs.

‘He was a really sorry sight.He was withdrawn and behaving like a dog.

‘As he got healthier he got more sprightly and would growl at me. This behaviour is a good sign.

Bo was brought in after he was spotted injured in a garden in Merseyside in November

Bo was brought in last month (pictured left) but after being looked after by staff at the rescue centre, he was well enough to be released (pictured right)

‘When Bo came in his fur was darker because of the dirt. But his fur coat is lighter. He’s a special fox.’

The fox unit received a call about Bo in November 2022, and chose to bring him into the centre when they saw the state of him.

‘He was in immediate need of help,’ Gray said.

‘If we hadn’t have come we would have died.

‘He was covered in mange – a skin disease caused by mites.

‘He was sitting up in about a week.’

When he was brought in Bo could barely open his eyes as they were covered in scabs, but after being given eye drops he recovered

Gray gave Bo daily brushes and eye drops to cure his bacterial conjunctivitis and began to see a change in his behaviour and fur colour.

‘At first when he came in he was amendable,’ he said.

‘But after a week he started to change and would look at me more warily which is a good sign.’

After three weeks with Gray, Bo was released back into the wild.

‘He shot out of the carrier,’ Gray said.

Gray works 24/7 to help care and rescue injured and poorly foxes in his area.

‘I’m able to deal with 70% of incidents outside but if they are too poorly we have to bring them in,’ he said.

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