Arctic creature that ‘looked like a puppy’ appears in Oregon. Where did it come from?

An exotic creature with white fur was spotted wandering around an Oregon city — a long way from its natural home.

The animal was confirmed to be an Arctic fox that has likely been held in captivity all of its life, the wildlife nonprofit Bird Alliance of Oregon said in an Oct. 15 Facebook post.

“Arctic foxes don’t naturally occur in Oregon, so this species is considered an exotic animal here,” the nonprofit said.

The fox was spotted in southeast Portland, near Sellwood Bridge, the group’s spokesperson Ali Berman told McClatchy News by email.

A couple walking across the bridge saw the animal, The Oregonian reported. At the time, they didn’t know it was an Arctic fox.

“It definitely looked wild and it looked like a puppy,” Richard Melling told the news outlet. “It was like a very, very happy puppy.”

The fox was rescued Oct. 12 in Willamette Park and taken to the conservation group’s wildlife care center.

Rescuers determined the fox was female, “in good health” but “a little thin and dehydrated,” the nonprofit said. They are working to keep her fed and hydrated.

Where did the fox come from?

Arctic foxes are typically found in areas north of the Arctic Circle, including Canada, Russia, Greenland and Iceland, according to Wisconsin’s Racine Zoo.

So it’s not common to find an Arctic fox wandering around Portland, the wildlife group said.

“While we don’t have information yet on where the Arctic fox came from, or how she got to Portland, we believe the animal has only known a life of captivity,” the nonprofit said.

It’s likely the animal was dumped after being illegally held in captivity because she didn’t show any fear to humans, the group said.

Instead, she approached people when she was rescued.

The nonprofit said wild animals should not be treated as pets as they lose their natural fear of humans.

“Even if they are rescued or removed from captivity, the animal will never be able to return to the wild,” the group said.

It’s not clear where this Arctic fox will end up, but the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife is working to figure it out.

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