Snow forces hungry foxes to forage in the suburbs Coyotes and other animals are also finding food scarce, officials say. This week in Ogunquit, two foxes came into a neighborhood off Route 1. Police shot the animals because they appeared to be sick. Numerous wildlife sightings also have been reported in Biddeford Pool, York and Kennebunk. In most cases, the reports are of foxes, but experts say greater numbers of deer, coyotes and wild turkeys also have been spotted scampering across roads and yards.
Foxes typically forage for food in the woods and fields come spring.
But because the snow is still so deep, the animals are having a difficult time catching the field mice and other rodents that make up their diet. This has forced the animals into populated areas to hunt . Usually by now, the snow would be mostly melted and the red-coated foxes would blend in more with their surroundings, Dumont said. Some of the foxes coming out of the woods and fields may be sick, but many are presumed simply to be hungry. On Tuesday, Ogunquit police responded to calls from several residents who live off Berwick Road, west of Route 1.