Six orphaned gray foxes were found and cared for at the Wildlife Care Center in Saratoga for the last four months before being released back into the wild at Alum Rock Park in San Jose on Aug. 20.

Gray foxes are native to the Bay Area with a “pretty established” population, said Ashley Kinney, wildlife rehabilitation department manager for the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA, which runs the Saratoga center. However, their numbers statewide have somewhat declined due to human encroachment on their habitats.

The foxes perform several ecological services; the main one is pest control. Gray foxes keep gopher, vole, ground squirrel, rat and mice populations in check. They also have an omnivore diet that consists of fruits and grubs and spread seeds for forest growth and remove carcasses in th

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