Barry: Rare black fox spotted roaming the streets

A rare black fox has been seen roaming towns in a Welsh county, with locals urged to help catch it.

Also known as silver foxes, they are not native to the wild in the UK, but domesticated and kept as exotic pets.

People in Barry and Sully in Vale of Glamorgan have seen what appears to be one of them.

RSPCA Cymru said even the most experienced fox experts have had difficulty keeping adult foxes and does not advise it.

In North America, about 10% of foxes are black, with the rest a mixture of colours, such as red.

Some people will breed only black litters to make totally black foxes, and there are currently no restrictions in the UK on breeding or owning them.

Lorraine Moores spotted the fox on The Spinney Park, in Sully, on Sunday morning.

"I came outside with the dog, and this fox was sat there between my cabin and the caravan next door," she said.

"I presumed it had been there all night."

What is believed to be the same fox has also been spotted in Barry.

Hayley de Ronde, from the organisations Black Foxes UK, said managing the animals was "difficult".

She said because black foxes are domesticated animals, the local animal warden and council are not responsible for the capture of it.

But between herself, a local cat rescue centre and Vale of Glamorgan council's animal warden, she said there is a plan in place to capture it.

"We hope to try and set a humane trap," she said.

"We have a temporary holding home lined up for it once it is caught."

Ms De Ronde advised members of the public not to chase the fox if they see it, as it is likely to be "quite stressed".

RSPCA Cymru said it is aware of the sightings and "hope this fox is okay".

"Silver foxes are the same species as the red foxes we have living wild in the UK but with different colouration," a spokesperson said.

"Traditionally, they were bred for their fur but are now sometimes kept as exotic pets.

"Foxes are wild animals with very specific needs that are no different to those of foxes living in the wild and they require specialist care."

The spokesperson urged any prospective owner to fully research an animal's needs, adding: "Exotic pets can live a long time, grow to a large size and need to be taken to an exotics vet if they become ill, which can be expensive."