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Basil’s health has improved since his arrival in the US in February (Wildlife Conservation Society/PA)
A fox which stowed away on a car transporter ship from the UK port of Southampton to New York has completed quarantine after being treated for a form of heartworm.
The two-year-old male red fox, which has now been named Basil, was taken in by the Bronx Zoo on February 19 after being found amongst the cargo of the ship by customs officers when it arrived at the Port of New York and New Jersey.
A spokeswoman for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the zoo, said Basil had been diagnosed with French heartworm which infects the blood vessels of the lungs and causes severe respiratory disease.
She said the parasite is rare in the United States and more commonly found in wild foxes and domestic dogs in Europe.
Basil had hitched a lift on a car transporter travelling from Southampton to New York (Wildlife Conservation Society/PA)PA Media - WCS
The spokeswoman said: “Over the course of approximately one month, Basil received three different types of deworming medications as part of a carefully managed treatment plan.
“Following treatment, veterinarians repeated diagnostic testing multiple times to confirm the infection has now been successfully cleared.
“Throughout his treatment, Basil showed significant improvement.
“He gained weight, developed a fuller and shinier coat, and demonstrated strong overall health during follow-up examinations.
“Veterinary and animal care staff noted a dramatic improvement in his body condition and appearance during his most recent health check.”
Next time we’d recommend it considers the Queen Mary 2, which offers the Southampton to New York route with considerably more comfort
ABP Southampton
She said when Basil arrived, he weighed 11.2lb (5.1kg), but is now 13.7lb (6.2kg).
Craig Piper, the zoo’s interim director, said “Basil has done exceptionally well since arriving at the Bronx Zoo.
“Treating wildlife like this requires extensive co-ordination and expertise from our veterinary and animal care teams. We are very pleased with his recovery and continued progress since his long journey across the Atlantic.”
The spokeswoman said the zoo is still assessing the most appropriate long-term home for the fox.
A spokesman for ABP Southampton said after Basil was found in the US: “The Port of Southampton handles everything from cars to containers to cruises, but even we were surprised to find a fox had booked itself a transatlantic crossing.
“Clearly it fancied swapping the Solent for the Staten Island Ferry, though next time we’d recommend it considers the Queen Mary 2, which offers the Southampton to New York route with considerably more comfort.”
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