Foxes ‘filling empty seats’ at Texas baseball stadium as pandemic keeps fans away

Foxes have apparently taken over the University of Texas baseball stadium at Austin as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to prevent fans from gathering for games.

Video shared Thursday by Texas Parks and Wildlife shows at least four of the typically nocturnal canines roaming the upper stands in the middle of the day. The 6,649-seat facility is home to the Texas Longhorns.

“These gray foxes are filling the empty seats at UFCU Disch–Falk Field — or rather, searching under them for rodents,” the department wrote.

The video was recorded by UT-Austin staffer Michael Rodriguez and is just the latest example of how wildlife is filling in the gaps in public places as people avoid crowds during the coronavirus pandemic.

This includes coyotes, elk, bear and swarms of rats across the United States, and alligators found roaming tourist sites in South Carolina. In other countries, wildlife encounters have included herds of rampaging monkeys taking to the streets.

The stadium video, which has been viewed nearly 200,000 times as of Friday, was first shared on Facebook by Central TX Urban Wildlife, which noted the foxes were actually beneficial in the absence of people.

“Gray foxes are native to Texas and are apparently a bit more inclined to wander in the park since the pandemic has reduced most human activity there,” the group posted. “They’ll most certainly be relieving the ballpark of rodents and insects, and will be a welcome sign of life for the staff who ensure the building’s security.”

Central TX Urban Wildlife says the foxes are likely finding their way in and out of the stadium through fox-sized holes in the gates. University staff are coming up with “management strategies” to deal with the foxes, and have been instructed not to do anything that encourages them to stay — like feeding them, state wildlife officials told McClatchy News.

Gray foxes can climb trees and eat “virtually every kind of meat, fruit vegetable or insect,” according to The Wildlife Science Center.

They are also known for giving off “a pungent odor, similar to skunks,” the center says, which suggests baseball fans should hope they vacate the site once games resume.

This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 8:06 AM with the headline "Foxes ‘filling empty seats’ at Texas baseball stadium as pandemic keeps fans away."