New Delhi: Have you ever seen a hybrid between a dog and a fox? When Dogxim, a female canid hybrid between a Pampas fox and a domesticated dog was discovered in 2021 in Brazil, researchers and animal experts were shocked and surprised. The behaviour of the animal was a mix of fox and dog behaviours and the animal was reportedly the first documented case where hybridization took place between two species, dog and fox.
How was Dogxim discovered?
Dogxim was more or less like a medium-sized dog. She had dark brown eyes and her body was dark brown with specks of white and grey and had wiry hairs. In 2021, she was run over by a vehicle in Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul. The Environmental Patrol found the animal and took her to the veterinary hospital. After her injuries were treated, she was moved to another centre for full recovery.
She was transferred to an animal care centre in November 2021, and there, the caretakers noticed something unusual when it came to the features and characteristics of Dogxim. The behaviour was a mixture of wild canids and dogs. After she recovered fully, Dogxim preferred to climb into bushes than to roam on the ground. The need for a biological assessment was realised and genetic researchers researched the animal. The genetic study showed Dogxim as a hybrid individual. The study was published in the journal Animals on August 3, 2023.
The animal looked like a dog and also barked like one. But it also had long, pointed, ears like a fox. Also, as has been mentioned, it climbed bushes, a behaviour more typical of the local Pampas fox, and it refused common dog food and liked to eat rats. Its name Dogxim is also a mixture of ‘dog’ and ‘graxaim do campo’ the Portuguese name for Pampas fox. And while the first, it may not be the last of its kind.
The death of Dogxim
In August 2023, scientists requested to see her pictures and were informed that Dogxim had died six months before. The time and nature of her death were never reported and reportedly the canid had no health problems after her recovery. Infact, it was reported that she had completely healed from the wound she suffered in 2021. The report of Dogxim’s death concerned the Brazilian government and they started an investigation.
