Sonoma County's "Firefox" makes full recovery, released into wild

PETALUMA, Calif. (KTVU) - Sonoma County’s “Firefox” is fully healed and back in the wild.

A grey fox who had all four paws severely burned during the Tubbs Fire that ripped through Sonoma County in August spent the past month and a half transitioning from “painfully paw-less to fully functional.”

On Wednesday, Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue staff released the fox at a regional park close to where he was discovered. Dr. Dan Famini, SCWR Veterinarian, chronicled the recovery process that went from promoting granulation tissue in the paws to making sure the fox’s feet were prepared for the many surfaces of the wild. 

“Thriving in the wild requires Olympian caliber physical prowess, a fierce personality and a robust aversion to harmful humans,” SCWR wrote in a Facebook post. “Fortunately, this spirited fox has met that mark.

The fox’s ability to heal was described as excellent as it transitioned from close care to an outdoor structure to completely free. And he couldn’t have been more excited, as he made a mad dash as soon as the carrier cage door was opened.