Sam the Fox, who became an Irish celebrity after being spotted around Dublin at the height of the pandemic and has since been looked after by staff at Trinity College, has sadly passed away after sustaining a leg injury.
Trinity Sustainability announced Sam the Fox's passing on social media yesterday, Tuesday, April 8.
In January, Kildare Wildlife Rescue said Sam was rescued by Collie Ennis, Trinity Sustainability's Biodiversity Officer, after the popular fox was spotted with a badly injured leg.
The famous @tcddublin Sam rescued today by our good friend and patron @collieennis after Sam was spotted with a badly injured leg. #urbanwildlife pic.twitter.com/b0JN7vfgrT
— Kildare Wildlife Rescue (@WildlifeKildare) January 20, 2025
On Tuesday, Trinity Sustainability said that Sam the Fox "got loving care at Grey Abbey veterinary care to try and restore his mobility.
"They did all they could for weeks, but unfortunately it was not meant to be for Sam and the ethical decision was to put him down.
"Sam had a great life as the beloved Trinity fox."
Trinity Sustainability shared a sweet video of Sam the Fox stopping by for his nightly evening treat of tuna from Collie Ennis.
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In April 2020 - amidst Ireland's pandemic lockdowns - Kevin O'Mahony shared this clip of a fox roaming Dublin's Grafton Street which, in normal times, would be bustling with pedestrians.
The clip went viral, with plenty of people fascinated by the unusual sight.
Just a friendly fox roaming Grafton Street of a Tuesday evening. This is the new norm! #COVID19 #LockdownIreland pic.twitter.com/mWwqyCfQ19
— Kevin O'Mahony (@Kev_OMahony) April 28, 2020
Not long after, Paul Lanigan captured what has become an iconic shot for the Irish Times, which revealed that Ennis had named the fox Sam. (At the time, no one was sure if Sam was male or female.)
After explaining that Sam had been kicked out of his den, Ennis said: "All the time now at Trinity, you see him sitting at Lincoln Place gate at the dental hospital mournfully looking towards where Mammy and Daddy hang around.
"That's why he's out and about in the city centre during the day looking a bit panicked."
Ennis added: “We were concerned that he was not eating, but we can see from the photograph that there is no need to be concerned. They are incredibly adaptable animals. They can switch from McDonald’s leftovers to killing rats and pigeons within days which is exactly what happened.”
Trinity's resident wildlife expert @collieennis on the resourceful young fox that has made Dublin's city centre its home: https://t.co/cWwHxyJtPr #TrinityExperts #COVID19 #Wildlife pic.twitter.com/Gh7UIwRrWj
— Trinity College Dublin (@tcddublin) May 3, 2020
Ever since, Ennis chronicled his interactions with Sam the Fox on social media.
Happy to report I managed to get Sam the @tcddublin fox to take some medicated bait this morning to treat her mange. This one & done treatment should cure her completely.
— Collie Ennis 🕷🐸 (@collieennis) June 27, 2020
Thanks to Pearse Stokes of @KildareAnimals for providing the treatment & his expertise.
Chuffed! 🦊❤ pic.twitter.com/qQSPO2yGz7
In February 2021, Ennis revealed that Sam was going to be a mammy.
Sam is going to be a Mammy!
— Collie Ennis 🕷🐸 (@collieennis) January 23, 2021
Heres herself and Prince the larger Male caught in a post coital copulatory lock typical of most canids.
How cool is that to see!! ❤🦊 pic.twitter.com/tTl1BUeiY3
That April, Trinity College Dublin announced - much to Ennis' delight - that Sam had welcomed her cubs.
My heart is BURSTING!!
— Collie Ennis 🕷🐸 (@collieennis) April 20, 2021
Well done our Sam ❤🦊🦊❤❤ https://t.co/SlkMpuvTfj
Sadly, in January, Ennis confirmed that Sam was off to get treatment for a badly injured leg.
Our resident fox Sam is off to @WildlifeKildare to get treatment for a badly injured back leg. 🦊 pic.twitter.com/XVpofAGNLF
— Collie Ennis 🕷🐸 (@collieennis) January 20, 2025
“It’s an incredible story and one that’s reached so many people,” Ennis told Trinity News this week, adding that Sam had been a constant of his routine in Trinity for the past seven years.
“I obviously was very fond of him.”
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