Three months after being found hungry and homeless, the Lantau red fox is doing well in quarantine at Ocean Park.

According to the park, right now “he is in good health, his appetite is good, and his weight is significantly higher,” according to HK Animal Post.

The baby fox was found in the Tong Fuk catchwater by snake-watcher Ivan Li in July. Li’s photos of the rescue went viral and were picked up by local media.

The animal, just a few months old when discovered, is not native to Hong Kong but is a popular pet in some countries. Most likely it was abandoned by its owner or those who smuggled it into the city.

The fox is half-way through its six-month quarantine period. However, Ocean Park has said it can’t look after it permanently because it is not compatible with its existing Arctic foxes and it lacks the expertise to care for it.

Eating well (Source: HK Animal Post)

In a letter to lawmaker Roy Kwong, the park said it is still in discussions over the fox’s long-term future, though it is committed to caring it it until the AFCD and the SPCA make final arrangements.

A spokesperson for the SPCA said some foreign animal care organisations had expressed interest in providing a permanent home, but each had different quarantine procedures and import regulations. The SPCA is still studying these.

However, the association doesn’t rule out the possibility of the fox being adopted in Hong Kong by experts with the right knowledge. It has submitted a proposal to the AFCD about the options for care of small foxes. The AFCD has not yet responded.

Roy Kwong said: “Bless him, I hope that the small red fox can be like a [Hong Kong] drugstore cat and be adopted in a good local home.”