Fantastic Mr Stowaway: fox sails from Britain to New York port

A red fox that managed to slip onto a US-bound ship in Britain was discovered by customs officers in the Port of New York, a zoo in the city has said.

The animal that zookeepers believe to be around two years old somehow boarded a vessel in Southampton, England, and was detected on arrival at the Port of New York and New Jersey, the Bronx Zoo said late Wednesday.

Once veterinarians give the 11-pound male fox a clean bill of health, zookeepers said they would be looking for a long-term home for the animal, which is said to be doing well.

"The Bronx Zoo regularly works with officials to help rescue wildlife that is illegally trafficked through nearby ports and airports," the zoo said.

Red foxes are one of the most prevalent carnivorous mammals globally and are found in Europe, Asia and North America as well as in parts of Africa.

There are tens of thousands of urban foxes in Britain, according to academic research, and Britain has some of the highest-density fox populations in the world.

They have been a part of the city landscape since the 1930s, when urban sprawl began to encroach on their rural territory. 

AFP