Mystic's Story
WARNING: Some portions may be graphic. I will denote it so that you may skip if you choose.
As most of you know, Mystic is an Arctic Fox. My friend. A friend that I spent a great deal of time getting to know. And, I'm about to lose her. Before I do, her story deserves to be told...
She's small. Most people, upon seeing her, think she's a baby (a kit). But, she's not. Arctic foxes are small. They live in harsh conditions in the wild. And, small means less space needed to dig into a den, and less body to protect from the cold - coiling tight under or into whatever protective space they can find to conserve body heat.
As a matter of fact, at six years of age, she's already a couple of years older than she'd have been likely to get had she been born in the wild. But, even then - reaching an age of four, she would have been considered lucky compared to where she was born.
Mystic was born at a fur farm. She, and her fellow kits, were destined to be killed for their beautiful coats. At the fur farm she could measure her lifespan in months. Usually, they are killed, and their coats taken, when they are between 8 and 10 months of age.
Mystic's life took a turn when a family visited the fur farm. I have no idea where this fur farm was, what prompted their visit, nor why anyone would visit, nor why one would take their children to visit. Nor, for that matter, why a fur farm would permit visits. But, these people did, and the fur farm did.
They had the full tour, including a description of what was in store for the animals in residence. They saw her as a kit, and they found out at what age she would be killed. They found out how she would be killed.
Graphic portion begins
Being a fox is, inarguably, better than being a chinchilla, if you're being raised for your coat. A chinchilla is as soft as it is because it has 60 hairs growing out of each hair follicle. Someone - I prefer not to speculate, or think about, who, why, or how - in a Menegelesque experiment determined that a chinchilla's hair would last longer if there was still blood flow going to it when it was taken. So, chinchilla's are not killed before the portion of the coat that will be used is taken. The only portion of the coat used is a strip, about 2 - 3 inches wide, that runs from the base of the neck to the top of the tail. This is taken, while the animal lives, and the chinchilla is then discarded to its fate.
A fox is, at least, killed. Probably, because they are larger and could inflict more damage - to the coat, if not to the person taking it - than if they were not. The most normal method (odd term "normal") is to kill them via anal electrocution. They are restrained and placed on a metal plate. A metal probe is placed in their anus, an alligator clip is attached to their lip. An electrical current is passed through their body causing death. The "advantage" for the farmer is that there is no blood, so the body can be bled and the fur can be kept clean before harvesting.
That was to be Mystic's fate.
Graphic portion ends
The family found this out and - I don't entirely know what ensued, but I can guess, based upon what would have happened if I had been taken on such a tour when I was a child (or even now). Ultimately, the family (3 children, I believe) decided she should keep her coat for herself. So, they bought her from the fur farmer and took her home to become a family pet.
She'd had no socialization with people. And, I'd guess that people that work in such an industry take care to protect their own emotions - most of them just want/need a job, they're not monsters. So, they would, I imagine, take care not to get too close to any of their charges.
And, foxes are, by nature, wild animals. Shy and diffident. Raised in those circumstances, Mystic had no reason to trust, or easily form a bond with, her new family. Only time and proximity will overcome those instincts.
That was the first hurdle they needed to overcome with their new "pet". Through time and treats (many of them not recommended for a fox's diet) they managed that one. But, Arctic foxes, in particular, have a hard time indoors. Their coat is extremely thick (obviously), and they overheat easily in un-airconditioned environments. And, they shed. A lot. At least twice a year. (Remember, they need to change colour for the summer in order to maintain camoflage.)
And, their favorite things to do is to dig, and to shred things. They're related to dogs, but they play, and hunt, a lot more like cats. Their nails are designed to dig through solid ice. Imagine the damage they can do in your living room, on your carpeting, or on your hardwood floors. And, having been raised in the fur farm, it's highly unlikely that she was toilet trained, and "scenting" behavior is extremely hard, if not impossible, to break in a wild animal. Even harder when you're starting with them not trusting you. Those were issues number 2 and 3.
Then you hit the biggie. Foxes are musky. When they get to be breeding age, around a year or so, they start to "sweat" musk. It's quite pronounced when they are upset or excited (even good excitement, like anticipation of a treat, whether it be a favorite person, toy, food, or upcoming walk). It's something that they exude from their pores - it's not from a gland that can be removed -, and it smells a lot - a LOT - like a skunk.
In the Arctic they would rub this scent on the rocks and ice to identify their home territory. In your living room they're going to rub that scent on...?
(Interestingly, to me at least, I can spend most of a day in her pen and, because she's excited at seeing me, she'll be quite musky. And, she can be all over me and my possessions. But, when I come home? Not one dog, nor cat, even registers it as something worth investigating. I can bring home her shed fur and they don't care. If I bring home any wolf shed, however, I can put it on the table and watch as a line of cats and dogs forms from the table to the floor, across the room, and around the corner - each waiting their turn to check out the "intruder". Go figure.)
Tired of having a home that smelled strongly of skunk - (And, this is probably the reason that modern fur farmers take the pelts before they reach a year of age - very few, if any, fur coat wearers appreciate smelling like a skunk) - they banished her to a chain in the backyard with the family dog. So, Mystic doesn't see any reason at all why dogs and foxes shouldn't be best friends.
As a matter of fact, her best friend at the zoo is our zoo dog, Eddie. He's actually owned by the zoo and lives there. He was formerly a Humane Society dog and we rescued him and use him to teach proper training techniques, good pet ownership, and introduction to baby classes. She absolutely loves it when he's allowed to come into her pen and play with her. Well, actually, she plays and tries to ingratiate herself with him. He's mostly interested in seeing if she's burried (cached) and of her treats so that he can steal them.
Eventually, they decided (and got the kids to agree) that being chained up in the backyard wasn't the kind of life they wanted her to live. So, they started to look for a new home for her. At some point they contacted us and asked if we would take her.
Normally, 99.999% of the time, our - or any zoo's - answer to that will be a resounding NO. Because they are raised in fur farms, Arctic foxes aren't on the endangered species list. And, WAY too many people take in inappropriate species as "pets" for zoos to take them all.
Besides, if zoos do take them, it only encourages others to get them, too. After all, when "Fluffy, the alligator" outgrows the bathtub and eats the family cat, the local zoo will certainly take her in. Right? Or, that box turtle your kid found and, illegally, took out of the wild lives longer than it takes your kid to get to (or through) college? Someone, some zoo, would certainly like to have it. Right? (A box turtle can live to be 160 yrs. old. So, if you have one? Make a will. You are now responsible for it for the rest of its life. It can't be re-released.) Etc. And, the answer is almost always "NO"!
So, she was almost certainly out of luck. BUT. We were building a new Children's Zoo when they asked. And, the area was based upon a farm theme. And, like it, or not, a fur farm is a kind of farm. So... Mystic got lucky. We agreed to accept her as an educational animal. We could use her to talk about foxes, the Arctic (which is always worth educating folks about), and - sometimes, when the ages are appropriate, fur farms.
We accepted her. And, other than the fur farm where she was born and her first family, we're all she's known. And, she's been here since just after she started scenting. Which means that, of her 6 years on earth, she's been with us for almost 5 of them. And now she's being sent away to another home.
I've been telling people that she is, arguably, the most lucky animal living at the zoo. She's already lived longer than she would have in the wild. She's far past the age she would have gained had she stayed at the fur farm. With proper care she can easily live until she's in her mid-teens, or even early 20's - just like a domesticated dog or cat. But, I won't get to see it. If I'm lucky, I may get to visit her at her new home, and another peep - who recently started posting on that other place, but hasn't been around in a while, can keep me posted on her welfare. (At least, FRAPPR suggests that she's in the vicinity, although I haven't verified that.)
I'll post more about her life with us, and my involvement with her, in future posts. But, this is her early history.
SOAPBOX WARNING: If you're going to attempt to take in a wild animal - ANY wild animal (which means anything other than a dog, a cat, or a rat - yes, I said rat - not mouse, nor hampster, nor fish, bird, snake, turtle, rabbit, guinea pig, horse, goat, pig, sugar glider, nor anything else - just those 3) you'd best know what you're getting into and how you're going to deal with the inevitable issues.
These are animals. Living beings. Not toys, nor experiments, nor living lesson-plans for your kids. If they are not already domesticated - which happens over centuries, not days, months, or years - they don't belong in the average home. (Not to say that some of these animals won't make fine additions to the well-educated, motivated, home - just that education about their needs - and the willingness to provide for them - is key.) /SOAPBOX.
I'll post more about her, her life with the zoo, and my involvement with her - and how it came to be, in future posts.
But, this covers who she is and how she came to be available to be in my life in the first place. It's enough for now.
As most of you know, Mystic is an Arctic Fox. My friend. A friend that I spent a great deal of time getting to know. And, I'm about to lose her. Before I do, her story deserves to be told...
She's small. Most people, upon seeing her, think she's a baby (a kit). But, she's not. Arctic foxes are small. They live in harsh conditions in the wild. And, small means less space needed to dig into a den, and less body to protect from the cold - coiling tight under or into whatever protective space they can find to conserve body heat.
As a matter of fact, at six years of age, she's already a couple of years older than she'd have been likely to get had she been born in the wild. But, even then - reaching an age of four, she would have been considered lucky compared to where she was born.
Mystic was born at a fur farm. She, and her fellow kits, were destined to be killed for their beautiful coats. At the fur farm she could measure her lifespan in months. Usually, they are killed, and their coats taken, when they are between 8 and 10 months of age.
Mystic's life took a turn when a family visited the fur farm. I have no idea where this fur farm was, what prompted their visit, nor why anyone would visit, nor why one would take their children to visit. Nor, for that matter, why a fur farm would permit visits. But, these people did, and the fur farm did.
They had the full tour, including a description of what was in store for the animals in residence. They saw her as a kit, and they found out at what age she would be killed. They found out how she would be killed.
Graphic portion begins
Being a fox is, inarguably, better than being a chinchilla, if you're being raised for your coat. A chinchilla is as soft as it is because it has 60 hairs growing out of each hair follicle. Someone - I prefer not to speculate, or think about, who, why, or how - in a Menegelesque experiment determined that a chinchilla's hair would last longer if there was still blood flow going to it when it was taken. So, chinchilla's are not killed before the portion of the coat that will be used is taken. The only portion of the coat used is a strip, about 2 - 3 inches wide, that runs from the base of the neck to the top of the tail. This is taken, while the animal lives, and the chinchilla is then discarded to its fate.
A fox is, at least, killed. Probably, because they are larger and could inflict more damage - to the coat, if not to the person taking it - than if they were not. The most normal method (odd term "normal") is to kill them via anal electrocution. They are restrained and placed on a metal plate. A metal probe is placed in their anus, an alligator clip is attached to their lip. An electrical current is passed through their body causing death. The "advantage" for the farmer is that there is no blood, so the body can be bled and the fur can be kept clean before harvesting.
That was to be Mystic's fate.
Graphic portion ends
The family found this out and - I don't entirely know what ensued, but I can guess, based upon what would have happened if I had been taken on such a tour when I was a child (or even now). Ultimately, the family (3 children, I believe) decided she should keep her coat for herself. So, they bought her from the fur farmer and took her home to become a family pet.
She'd had no socialization with people. And, I'd guess that people that work in such an industry take care to protect their own emotions - most of them just want/need a job, they're not monsters. So, they would, I imagine, take care not to get too close to any of their charges.
And, foxes are, by nature, wild animals. Shy and diffident. Raised in those circumstances, Mystic had no reason to trust, or easily form a bond with, her new family. Only time and proximity will overcome those instincts.
That was the first hurdle they needed to overcome with their new "pet". Through time and treats (many of them not recommended for a fox's diet) they managed that one. But, Arctic foxes, in particular, have a hard time indoors. Their coat is extremely thick (obviously), and they overheat easily in un-airconditioned environments. And, they shed. A lot. At least twice a year. (Remember, they need to change colour for the summer in order to maintain camoflage.)
And, their favorite things to do is to dig, and to shred things. They're related to dogs, but they play, and hunt, a lot more like cats. Their nails are designed to dig through solid ice. Imagine the damage they can do in your living room, on your carpeting, or on your hardwood floors. And, having been raised in the fur farm, it's highly unlikely that she was toilet trained, and "scenting" behavior is extremely hard, if not impossible, to break in a wild animal. Even harder when you're starting with them not trusting you. Those were issues number 2 and 3.
Then you hit the biggie. Foxes are musky. When they get to be breeding age, around a year or so, they start to "sweat" musk. It's quite pronounced when they are upset or excited (even good excitement, like anticipation of a treat, whether it be a favorite person, toy, food, or upcoming walk). It's something that they exude from their pores - it's not from a gland that can be removed -, and it smells a lot - a LOT - like a skunk.
In the Arctic they would rub this scent on the rocks and ice to identify their home territory. In your living room they're going to rub that scent on...?
(Interestingly, to me at least, I can spend most of a day in her pen and, because she's excited at seeing me, she'll be quite musky. And, she can be all over me and my possessions. But, when I come home? Not one dog, nor cat, even registers it as something worth investigating. I can bring home her shed fur and they don't care. If I bring home any wolf shed, however, I can put it on the table and watch as a line of cats and dogs forms from the table to the floor, across the room, and around the corner - each waiting their turn to check out the "intruder". Go figure.)
Tired of having a home that smelled strongly of skunk - (And, this is probably the reason that modern fur farmers take the pelts before they reach a year of age - very few, if any, fur coat wearers appreciate smelling like a skunk) - they banished her to a chain in the backyard with the family dog. So, Mystic doesn't see any reason at all why dogs and foxes shouldn't be best friends.
As a matter of fact, her best friend at the zoo is our zoo dog, Eddie. He's actually owned by the zoo and lives there. He was formerly a Humane Society dog and we rescued him and use him to teach proper training techniques, good pet ownership, and introduction to baby classes. She absolutely loves it when he's allowed to come into her pen and play with her. Well, actually, she plays and tries to ingratiate herself with him. He's mostly interested in seeing if she's burried (cached) and of her treats so that he can steal them.
Eventually, they decided (and got the kids to agree) that being chained up in the backyard wasn't the kind of life they wanted her to live. So, they started to look for a new home for her. At some point they contacted us and asked if we would take her.
Normally, 99.999% of the time, our - or any zoo's - answer to that will be a resounding NO. Because they are raised in fur farms, Arctic foxes aren't on the endangered species list. And, WAY too many people take in inappropriate species as "pets" for zoos to take them all.
Besides, if zoos do take them, it only encourages others to get them, too. After all, when "Fluffy, the alligator" outgrows the bathtub and eats the family cat, the local zoo will certainly take her in. Right? Or, that box turtle your kid found and, illegally, took out of the wild lives longer than it takes your kid to get to (or through) college? Someone, some zoo, would certainly like to have it. Right? (A box turtle can live to be 160 yrs. old. So, if you have one? Make a will. You are now responsible for it for the rest of its life. It can't be re-released.) Etc. And, the answer is almost always "NO"!
So, she was almost certainly out of luck. BUT. We were building a new Children's Zoo when they asked. And, the area was based upon a farm theme. And, like it, or not, a fur farm is a kind of farm. So... Mystic got lucky. We agreed to accept her as an educational animal. We could use her to talk about foxes, the Arctic (which is always worth educating folks about), and - sometimes, when the ages are appropriate, fur farms.
We accepted her. And, other than the fur farm where she was born and her first family, we're all she's known. And, she's been here since just after she started scenting. Which means that, of her 6 years on earth, she's been with us for almost 5 of them. And now she's being sent away to another home.
I've been telling people that she is, arguably, the most lucky animal living at the zoo. She's already lived longer than she would have in the wild. She's far past the age she would have gained had she stayed at the fur farm. With proper care she can easily live until she's in her mid-teens, or even early 20's - just like a domesticated dog or cat. But, I won't get to see it. If I'm lucky, I may get to visit her at her new home, and another peep - who recently started posting on that other place, but hasn't been around in a while, can keep me posted on her welfare. (At least, FRAPPR suggests that she's in the vicinity, although I haven't verified that.)
I'll post more about her life with us, and my involvement with her, in future posts. But, this is her early history.
SOAPBOX WARNING: If you're going to attempt to take in a wild animal - ANY wild animal (which means anything other than a dog, a cat, or a rat - yes, I said rat - not mouse, nor hampster, nor fish, bird, snake, turtle, rabbit, guinea pig, horse, goat, pig, sugar glider, nor anything else - just those 3) you'd best know what you're getting into and how you're going to deal with the inevitable issues.
These are animals. Living beings. Not toys, nor experiments, nor living lesson-plans for your kids. If they are not already domesticated - which happens over centuries, not days, months, or years - they don't belong in the average home. (Not to say that some of these animals won't make fine additions to the well-educated, motivated, home - just that education about their needs - and the willingness to provide for them - is key.) /SOAPBOX.
I'll post more about her, her life with the zoo, and my involvement with her - and how it came to be, in future posts.
But, this covers who she is and how she came to be available to be in my life in the first place. It's enough for now.
posted by mysticwolf at 9:31 PM
5 comments
