MIDLAND, Texas — In West Texas, we aren't alone. We share our yards with wild animals who live here like coyotes, rabbits and grey foxes.
Right now you may be seeing more foxes than usual because they give birth around this time of year.
Scientist and Naturalist at Sibley Nature Center, Michael Nickell, says to beware of foxes because they can carry diseases.
"We’re mostly concerned with the canine distemper that affects foxes and skunks," Nickell said. "Distemper can occur year-round, it doesn’t have to be spring and summer but in spring and summer when foxes have their babies, that's when it seems to be most common."
The big thing to remember is to not interact with these animals.
"We get a lot of people that call us that are concerned about foxes setting up residence in their home. some people like it some people don’t. Regardless we tell them not to have any interaction with the animals because they are wild animals and there are diseases that they can get from the wild animals, but distemper is not one of them. Canine Distemper is not contagious to humans," said Nickell.
Even though we can't catch canine distemper, our pets can and it's almost always fatal.
"They just have to be in a similar area and they can pick it up. Viral particles are shed with bodily secretions either like respiratory aerosol, in urine or feces. The virus is very resistant to colds so it can exists in the environment for a long periods of time," Nickell said.
Which is why wildlife and nature experts recommend keeping a close eye on your pets and leaving the foxes alone if you see them.
"Don’t try to trap it. If you don’t want it on your property you need to call Animal Control for them to take care of it," said Nickell.
If they seem to be acting out of the ordinary, they might be sick.
"Grey foxes are curious animals to begin with but if they seem to be overly curious, out and about during the daytime and just absolutely unafraid then that’s a sign that something's probably wrong and that's a sign of distemper and rabies," said Nickell.
There is a vaccination for pets to protect them from distemper and to keep them safe from the fatal disease.