Make a direct impact and help us build Ember a new home in our Wildlife Housing Area by contributing today towards our Fox Enclosure Fundraiser!
Please help us in welcoming our newest resident Wildlife Ambassador, Ember!
Ember is a Red Fox and was brought to Cedar Run in the spring of 2022 as a baby after she was found orphaned in Cookstown, NJ. Ember sustained a leg fracture which required surgery to pin the bone by our veterinarians at Animal and Bird Healthcare Center.
Unfortunately, as an overly active young fox, the pin twisted which caused the leg to heal improperly. This resulted in residual weakness and potential ligament issues which were found to prevent Ember from running long distances to hunt prey.
Cedar Run’s newest Wildlife Ambassador, Ember, Red Fox.
UPDATE 1/17/23:
Thank you so much to all of our exceptionally generous supporters for helping us raise $74,841!
Releasing our patients is always the goal at Cedar Run, but since Ember cannot be released, we are happy to provide her with a forever home! As a young fox, Ember is playful and loves enrichment to keep her mind stimulated. She also loves to hide her food for later, which is called caching and is a natural behavior of foxes!
Currently, Ember is not out for viewing yet, as we will need to build a species-specific enclosure for her before she can be moved to the Wildlife Housing Area. You can make a direct impact and help us build Ember a new home in our Wildlife Housing Area by contributing today towards our Fox Enclosure Fundraiser!
Help us reach our goal of raising $70,000 so we can begin to work on building her a home that is specifically designed for her species.
Ember, resident Wildlife Ambassador Red Fox, as a young fox kit in 2022.
Ember, resident Wildlife Ambassador Red Fox, in front of her food dish.
Enclosure Details
What is special about the Fox Enclosure?
This enclosure will be a brand new structure in our Wildlife Housing Area and will provide permanent housing for Cedar Run resident foxes like Ember and beyond.
Mike O’Malley, Cedar Run’s Executive Director, and Lori Swanson, our Director of Wildlife Rehabilitation, have been researching the best options and working directly with a contractor to design a species-specific enclosure that is perfect for our resident fox, Ember, as well as other resident foxes that may call Cedar Run home in the future! It needs to be built to ensure Ember’s safety and comfort, as well as provide opportunities for the public to be able to observe and learn about foxes. The 1,100-square-foot structure is designed to be built to last over 20-30 years.
We have seen the rise of construction materials throughout the last few years, and this enclosure requires special building materials and additional labor expenses to ensure that the enclosure will be a perfect fit for our resident fox(es) for today and in the future. The land needs to be cleared from brush, stumps, and root systems in order to bury chain-linked fencing at least 12” into the ground to ensure that resident wildlife do not get out and predators do not get into our enclosures.
Red Foxes are great diggers, while Gray Foxes are amazing climbers. While we currently only have one resident Red Fox in need of a permanent enclosure, the team has worked with the contractor to specifically create a design to be able to accommodate both species’ needs throughout the lifetime of the enclosure, to make the best use of the enclosure for the lasting years to come.
We also have to create a special doorway system, much like our other wildlife enclosures, that our caretakers need to be able to enter and exit without worrying about our residents escaping. We will also be installing split rail fencing around the entire enclosure, which is critical for the health and safety of our wildlife and visitors.
Project plans for Fox Enclosure.
Fox Enclosure site, in Wildlife Housing Area between the Amphitheater and Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital.
Area will be cleared of brush and stumps for the site prep of the new Fox Enclosure.
Why now?
Why do we need to build this enclosure now?
Currently, Ember is temporarily housed in our releasable housing area in our small fox enclosure. This part of Cedar Run is not open to the public, as we want to ensure that our wildlife patients have a great road to recovery and the best chance of survival out in the wild, which means as little human interaction as possible outside of clinical care. This enclosure, like many of our other enclosures, is used by many patients on their recovery journey. In 2022, Cedar Run saw over 30 Red Foxes ranging in age from infant to adult. The releasable enclosures are specifically designed for temporary housing while they are in the care of our licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators, and they are not equipped to be used for permanent housing for wildlife. It’s important to raise funding and build this resident fox enclosure now, as this will ensure that we will have the recovery space for releasable patients, currently occupied by Ember, in enclosures that are specifically designed with the specific species in mind.
With this new enclosure, the Cedar Run staff’s primary goal is to move her to a place where she will be more comfortable for long-term permanent housing. This enclosure will be much larger than our temporary releasable patient enclosure, and specifically designed to be her forever home. With Ember’s new enclosure being in our Wildlife Housing Area and Red Foxes being naturally sociable animals, she will be surrounded by enrichment to keep her mind active and stimulated.
While Ember came to us as a young and injured orphan at only a few weeks old, and her life started off more difficult than most, we are honored to be able to house Ember here at Cedar Run for what we hope will be a long and happy life in our care. Ember’s story, while tragic, helps to remind us all that nature is fragile and needs to be protected. With this permanent enclosure, we will be able to better educate the public on Ember as well as the vital importance Red Foxes play in our ecosystem. While Ember was not able to be released back into the wild, we know she will make a great addition to the Wildlife Ambassadors that call Cedar Run their permanent home.
How can I help?
How can I help?
There are several ways you can help us reach our goal of raising $70,000 for Cedar Run’s Fox Enclosure for Ember:
- Make the biggest impact by donating a tax-deductible donation directly towards our Captial Campaign for the Fox Enclosure.
- Check out our tiered giving benefits for individuals, businesses, and organizations.
- All donations are tax-deductible, as provided by law.
- Gather your friends and family, and fundraise together to collectively donate towards our Fox Enclosure. There are peer-to-peer fundraising platforms that can help you get started: Facebook Fundraisers, and Give Lively
- Share with your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors, and on social media!
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more information about pop-up days for fundraisers to help support this project.
- Sign up for our email newsletters to get the latest news from Cedar Run flown straight to your inbox. Scroll down on this page & sign up at the bottom right.
The sooner we are able to fund this project, the sooner we are able to build this structure and she will be on public view for all to learn from her.
Ember, resident Wildlife Ambassador Red Fox. 2023.
Benefit Levels
Donation Levels & Benefits!
Every sponsor regardless of the amount will receive a letter of gratitude and acknowledgment from Cedar Run for their tax-deductible donation. Sponsors may choose to remain anonymous if they prefer. If your business or place of work would like to participate, we are also accepting corporate/company sponsors.
Sponsors donating $250 or more will receive a Special Edition Ember Sticker!
Sponsors donating $1,500 or more will receive a Personalize Wildlife Gram featuring Ember!
We are FULLY FUNDED! Thank you for your support!
Last updated 1/17/23.
Thank you to all of our supporters who contributed to this fund, and shared our fundraiser along the way!
While Ember is waiting for the construction to conclude to be able to move into her permanent home, there are some additional goodies on Ember’s wishlist to welcome her into her new space when it is ready and safe to do so.
- Check out Ember’s Wishlist
- Make a donation using the below form to help get these items and other important items for her enclosure.
