KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – Bays Mountain Park’s two red foxes will have a new home soon.
The park and City of Kingsport plan to unveil the park’s new fox habitat on Tuesday morning with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony, a release from the park states.
Jamie and Sabra, the red foxes at Bays Mountain, will have access to new features in the habitat such as a holding space, an elevated fox house and a fire hose hammock. While Jamie and Sabra are the only red foxes as of Thursday, the new habitat can house up to four foxes.
The new habitat is located between the wolf habitat and the herpetarium. The 35-foot by 55-foot wooden frame structure has wire mesh fencing and a secondary fence around the entire habitat. The project cost roughly $250,000, which park leadership said included a $100,000 donation from the Kingsport Community Foundation.
Bays Mountain Park Ranger Krystal Haney designed the interior of the habitat, according to the park.
The new habitat project started in June and was completed earlier in November. The former fox habitat was built in the early 1970s and has been home to a variety of animals over the years, including bears and coyotes.
“It was just so old, the habitat had outlived its usefulness,” Bays Mountain Chief Ranger Tyler Wicks said in the release. “The main part of the habitat was donated to Exotic Pet Wonderland (a fox rescue) and the concrete pad has been demolished. We believe Jamie and Sabra will love their new home.”