Mysterious White Fox Spotted in Oregon Surprises Wildlife Experts with ‘Arctic’ Appearance: 'Certainly Rare'
"This species is considered an exotic animal here," the Bird Alliance of Oregon wrote on Instagram alongside multiple photos of the animal
An "exotic" and "rare" white fox has been spotted in Oregon.
In an Oct. 15 Instagram post, the state's non-profit environmental organization, Bird Alliance of Oregon, confirmed it was looking after the animal after it was brought to its Wildlife Care Center.
The rescue came after the fox made headlines earlier this month when it was spotted by 64-year-old Richard Melling and his wife while they were walking across the Sellwood Bridge in Portland.
Melling told The Oregonian of the animal, whom they spotted not far from the bridge, “It definitely looked wild and it looked like a puppy. It was like a very, very happy puppy.”
Related: Zoo Asks for Help Identifying 'Mysterious Winged and Horned Creature' Spotted Near Park Habitat
The Bird Alliance of Oregon called the animal an "Arctic fox" in its recent Instagram post.
"Arctic Foxes don’t naturally occur in Oregon, so this species is considered an exotic animal here. Its native habitat is in the far north in places like Greenland, Svalbard, northern Russia, Canada, and Alaska," the organization wrote alongside multiple photos.
"While we don’t have information yet on where the Arctic fox came from, or how she got to Portland, we believe the animal has only known a life of captivity. The fox doesn’t show a species appropriate fear response to people, and was actually approaching humans when rescued," the post added.
"We believe the fox either accidentally escaped from captivity or was intentionally dumped by the people who illegally held her," the caption continued.
Related: Texas Woman Asks For Public's Help Identifying Mysterious Animal Caught on Camera Near Her Home
The non-profit added that the female fox was "in good health" and "just a little thin and dehydrated," after reminding people that "wild animals aren't pets."
"Treating them like domestic animals isn’t just dangerous for people, but it’s often a death sentence for wildlife. Even if they are rescued or removed from captivity, the animal will never be able to return to the wild," the post stated.
Oregon Department of Wildlife biologist Benjamin Cate told The Oregonian that the animal was "certainly rare."
“This animal looks closer to an Arctic fox than any fox native to our area,” Cate told the outlet, adding, “It is potentially some kind of hybrid animal that escaped from captivity, however we can’t 100 [percent] rule out that it is a wild leucistic (white) gray fox either.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Cate told the publication that "white coloration is more common in red foxes than in gray foxes," but said the animal in question didn't have ears and a snout like a red fox.
“Honestly, we’re not 100 [percent] sure about it,” he said.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is now working with Bird Alliance of Oregon to place the fox in an AZA-accredited (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) facility, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife told PEOPLE.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.