“It is fantastic that we have foxes because they were scarce for such a long time,“ Burns said. “They are making a comeback.“

Burns said foxes usually are nocturnal except when they are out and about looking for food to feed their young. She said residents should not fear the creatures as long as proper precautions are taken.

Since they are wild animals that are nursing little ones, residents should avoid cornering or provoking them, almost no different than how one would treat a human mother, Burns said.

“Admire them from a distance is my best advice,“ Burns said.

Parks, Recreations & Arts Director Tim McCaffrey said citizens should dispose of food waste properly and refrain from feeding foxes. He said he is unaware of any incidents involving foxes attacking during his 15 years as a resident of East Lansing.

McCaffrey said he anticipates sightings to be more popular in neighborhoods that are adjacent to open wooded areas, such as the Pinecrest Neighborhood that is next to Henry Fine Park.

MSU alumna Liana Eckert encountered wolverines, badgers and hawkeyes while competing as a Big Ten track athlete – but never a fox.

“I kind of got nervous and then I told myself it was going to be fine and it left me alone,“ Eckert said of her first encounter with a fox. “It was probably a baby; about the size of a puppy.”

Eckert said the fox crossed her path last week while she was running on Abbot Road toward Grand River Avenue.

“I would have never suspected that there were foxes in East Lansing until I saw one,” Eckert said.