Kimberly DeFisher

The screms, the 💩 from the air - she’s the weirdest fox to exist. Love her. #wildlife #rescue #fox #chaos #funny #behavior #whatdoesthefoxsay #animals #nonprofit #fyp

Intake 2025-03, “Peanut”. The look of thanks and understanding he gave me was everything.✨ #wildlife #rescue #wildliferehab #fox #animals #nonprofit

Further detail about their finder story: Intakes 2025-06, 07, and 08 are sisters. They were born under a shed, but the homeowner didn’t want foxes denning there. Instead of reaching out to a wildlife professional or being open to learning why foxes are incredibly beneficial for things like rodent control - and that they don’t view kids or dogs as prey - he decided to take matters into his own hands. He boarded up every entrance an adult fox could fit through, apparently leaving only a small hole for the babies to possibly exit. His goal? Keep the parents out. He cut these babies off from the care they needed. By the time I got the call - from a very kind and concerned neighbor - they’d already started seeing fewer babies. As the number of babies seen at the den decreased, the abnormal behavior increased. I advised the neighbor to immediately start supplementing food, in hopes of keeping whatever babies remained there, there, so mom and dad may have a chance to come back and move them. Hungry babies wander, and without mom and dad there to keep them in line, they’ll go way too far looking for food. We hoped that the decrease in number of kits meant the parents were relocating some to a backup den (which foxes often do), but the last few lingered too long. There was no question that it was time to intervene and set some live traps. There are humane ways to haze foxes away from den sites if someone is truly unwilling to coexist, but it needs to be done carefully - or you risk separating families like this one. These three girls were lucky to be trapped and brought to me in time. Many others aren’t. Young foxes are tiny, adorably foolish, and playful. They are easy targets and can easily put themselves in dangerous situations, like steep falls and busy highways. They have been doing very good in my care and are well on their way to release back into the wild. #wildliferehab #wildlife #rescue #fox #animals #nonprofit

Replying to @Dennari 🐺 This did NOT disappoint.

“Clifford the big red fox” is a phrase I say in my head all the time now 🥹 #wildlife #rescue #wildliferehab #fox #babyanimals #nonprofit

Wolves further prove that communication is key to healthy relationships 😉. #wolfdog #wildlife #rescue #animals

How most families spend quality time together, right? 🦊 #wildlife #rescue #sanctuary #nonprofit #chicken #animals #fox #wolf

Replying to @Andrew Erik Whitley This could be groundbreaking - I need your help. #wildlife #rescue #wildliferehab #fox #baby #animals #discovery #nonprofit

Trust is everything. At larger facilities, like zoos with staff and volunteers, it’s common to see one specific keeper assigned to medicating an animal. That’s because consistency, trust, and training are crucial when it comes to administering meds. We’re not a big facility - we’re a home-based, family-run sanctuary. That means my family gets roped into chores! My kids are definitely animal lovers, and they’re incredibly empathetic. Still, because of the species I work with, I don’t allow them to be as hands-on as some might imagine. Their safety is always my top priority. As they grow, so do the responsibilities I allow them to take on. Usually, when they help with chores, it’s not actually super helpful if I’m being honest - it’s more about humoring them and fostering their love for animals. But this chore? This one is different. Ella helping to get medication into a wolfdog who won’t usually come near me - because, sadly, he associates me with the trauma, travel, and vetting from the beginning of his life - is actually helpful. Very much so. Trying to medicate him alone usually involves a slightly chaotic mess of treat-flinging in opposite directions to distract other wolfdogs. 😅 So to watch Ella calmly and confidently step in, to see the subtle things she does that show me just how much she’s learned and been watching me - it makes me incredibly proud. (Gosh, this would’ve made a good #mothersday post - I should’ve saved this for next month. I was too excited to post it though 😂❤️) #wildlife #rescue #wolfdog #wolf #motherdaughter #kidsoftiktok #animals #proud #nonprofit

Intake 2025-04: The start of a brotherly bond. ❤️ #wildliferehab #wildlife #rescue #fox #animals #nonprofit

#wildliferehab

Introducing intake 2025–05, and also an update on Peanut: This is Sunshine - lovingly named by my 6 y/o son, Clay, who asked me with wide eyes, “Can I please name the baby fox Sunshine?” I couldn’t say no, and honestly, we could use a little extra light right now. As you can probably tell, something isn’t right. Sunshine has an abnormally large, dome-shaped head - the kind I refer to as a “textbook case of hydrocephalus”. And while Sunshine’s condition is serious, I’m also here to share a hopeful development for Peanut, my #wildliferehab Intake 2025–03. When Peanut came in, I suspected hydrocephalus - though his skull isn’t shaped like a typical case. His neurological symptoms and intake story matched past cases I’ve seen, but I also know it could be a number of different conditions causing those signs - from structural abnormalities to infections and pressure on the brain. That’s exactly what I’ve been hoping to explore through further testing. For quite a while now, I’ve been searching for a specialist veterinarian who would be open to digging deeper into the possible causes, testing, and potential treatment options for neurological conditions like hydrocephalus. It’s hard to put into words how excited I feel about this huge step - even though I’m equally heartbroken and anxious about both Peanut and Sunshine’s conditions… For the first time, we might have the opportunity to do advanced diagnostics - especially imaging like an MRI - which has never been an option before. Even if we can’t save both of these foxes, which I’m praying we can, this could still give us incredibly valuable information for future cases. I’m writing this from a rest stop, mid-travel to meet with a veterinary neurosurgeon who has generously agreed to evaluate both Peanut and Sunshine. It’s several hours away, and I may be staying overnight. That may mean a spontaneous fundraiser to help cover costs. (While our Fox Barn fundraiser is ongoing, construction is paused until weather allows us to pour concrete.) I’ll keep you posted after the appointment - and at that time, I’ll also share what we learn & how much we may need to fundraise if advanced diagnostics are recommended. 🙏🏼 (PS I actually wrote this at about noon today and it’s now 8PM - trying to draft up a post-appointment update as we speak but needed to get this posted ❤️) #wildlife #rescue #wildliferehab #fox #animals #nonprofit

She was getting jealous that most of our posts feature #wildliferehab intakes this time of year. 🦊 #wildlife #rescue #fox #whatdoesthefoxsay #animals #nonprofit

Replying to @Victoria THE BEST USE OF THIS AUDIO 🙌🏼🥹 #wildliferehab #fox #babyanimals #lionking #brother #nonprofit

No deep caption for this - just a glimpse into daily sanctuary life and foxes being foxes.✨ #wildlife #rescue #fox #sanctuary #adayinmylife #nonprofit #HappyEaster #animals

Replying to @mildlynerdy 🦊 History in the making - thanks to all of you! #wildlife #rescue #wildliferehab #hydrocephalus #fox #animals #nonprofit #discovery

The mini yodas are here to bring you today’s Fox Barn Phase 5 Update! I’m so excited to share photos and videos of the Fox Barn progress. I took video clips all week long while the Amish crew was working, and I’ll be editing them together to show you soon! The progress is AMAZING and gave me little butterflies - it’s wild to see this vision coming to life. Construction for Phase 5 is basically complete - we have a couple more loose ends to tie up for Phase 5, then will be at a temporary standstill until the concrete gets poured in our hallway and breezeway. We don’t know the exact cost for Phase 5 just yet, as we’ll be getting our bill for the last week’s labor probably in the next week or so. However, we made a goal to raise at least $12,000, which we knew we’d hit based on materials alone totaling over $6,000… and I’m so excited to share that WE DID IT! In just ONE WEEK we were able to raise $12,000. That makes me feel very emotional, and incredibly proud. I’m so, so proud to say that Arctic Fox Daily Wildlife Rescue has this level of public support - I’d argue that we have the BEST group of supporters. Seriously, you guys are loyal. 🙏🏼 Here’s the breakdown of Phase 5 contributions that came in since yesterday’s 3/31 update: • 14 people via PayPal totaling $269.09 (2 of you even set up recurring donations 🎉) • 21 people via Venmo totaling $1,135.00 • 2 people via CashApp totaling $45.00 • 3 people via Zelle totaling $34.00 $12,201 raised so far! Until we launch an official Phase 6, we’ll be shifting our focus to our 1% participation challenge. We made a goal to see just 1% of our 327,000 I G followers alone donate $5 each, and we’re so close: Our current total is equal to 0.75% of our I G followers donating $5! This online family we’ve created is living proof that there is strength in numbers. For less than the price of a latte each, you guys are truly making an impact. 👏🏼 ⚠️ As always, please be careful of scam accounts pretending to be us. The safest way to donate is by using the links directly on our website: www.arcticfoxdaily.org/contribute The mini yodas thank you on behalf of their larger cousins. 👽 (we need a yoda emoji) #fennec #fox #wildlife #rescue #animals #yoda #nonprofit

🥺 Intake 2025-02 was the only baby found after Mom was hit by a car. I’m committed to giving him a second chance at life, as I am to many orphans who find their way here each spring. An important part of giving orphans like Clifford a healthy start at life in a rehab setting is minimizing human interaction, because the goal of #wildliferehab is always to return these animals to the wild (even if it takes a lot of self control with an animal as cute as a baby fox 😅).

Replying to @Tony “Hydrocephalus”, it’s a heartbreaking condition. Since our last report and through 4PM today (3/30), here are the newest contributions toward our Fox Barn Phase 5 goal: • 34 people via PayPal: $1,321.66 (no new recurring donations setup the last day) • 15 people via Venmo: $210 • 2 people via Zelle: $115 • 2 people via CashApp: $20 That is an amazing jump - you guys are the best group of supporters, seriously. That brings us to a total of $9,175.70 raised out of our $12,000 goal - that’s over three-quarters of the way to the minimum amount we need to raise, wow! THANK YOU. 🙏🏼 ⚠️ Reminder: The safest way to donate is by using the donation links directly on our website, www.arcticfoxdaily.org There have been scam pages impersonating us, including on Venmo, and we want to make sure your generosity goes exactly where you intend - to the animals. #wildliferehab #babyfox

🦊 A little chaos is good for the soul #wildlife #rescue #fox #animals #funny #porsha