Shadow, a rare black fox, was rescued in Wales after a two-week search.

A rare black fox was recently discovered in Wales after a two-week rescue attempt.

The efforts to humanely capture the 2-year-old fox, called Shadow for its colour, began on April 8 when Black Foxes UK received reports of an abandoned silver fox.

Because such a fox is uncommon in the United Kingdom, many people saw Shadow in public places in Barry, Wales, and called the rescue organisation to report their sightings. The breed is a captive-bred line of North American red foxes, according to a news release from the organisation, and this specific animal was presumed to have escaped from a private owner.

"In the early 1900s, the North American red fox, or'silver fox,' was brought to the United Kingdom for the fur trade, with a ban on breeding animals primarily for their fur enacted in 2000." The last fox farm in the United Kingdom, however, closed its doors in 1982, long before the ban," a representative for Black Foxes UK noted in a news release.

"We had received hundreds of calls and messages, and our efforts to locate the owner had been futile." Due to limited resources, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was unable to assist, and asked members of the public to call only if the animal was harmed. They were able to trap the fox multiple times, but they were finally unsuccessful," they stated.

Shadow was securely recovered and evaluated on Monday thanks to the intervention of the Local Authority animal warden and a local cat rescue, Shua Trust Home & Sanctuary.

"Shadow is very confident around people and was clearly well-socialized prior to his escape," Black Foxes UK explained. While there were reports that the furry creature had a leg injury, the organisation stated that he was found to be in good health after his capture and has been re-homed with educational company Animals Interactive.

According to the Black Foxes UK release, another black fox may still be on the free in the area; individuals who spot such a critter are invited to report their observations.