Adopted June 10, 2010, the grey fox is a unique and primitive species, believed to be between 7 and 10 million years old, which is indigenous to Delaware. It is a swift and powerful animal capable of running up to 28 miles per hours and the only member of the canid family which is able to climb trees. The fourth grade students at Joseph M. McVey Elementary School, as part of teacher Paul Sedacca's lessons on persuasive writing, suggested that the grey fox be designated as Delaware's official state wildlife animal. Since it does not hibernate, the students said that it is "always ready like our soldiers at Dover Air Force Base".

HB 25 would allow the trapping, hunting and pelt sales of the gray fox.

The gray fox lives in a wide variety of habitats but prefers areas with lots of brush or woods. For this reason sightings of the gray fox are rare.

The gray fox is a solitary hunter and eats a wide-variety of foods. A large part of its diet is made up of small mammals like mice, voles and eastern cottontail rabbits. It also eats birds; insects; and plants like corn, apples, nuts, berries and grass. In the summer and autumn, grasshoppers and crickets are an important part of its diet.

One of the reasons brought forth for this legislation is so that farmers can protect their livestock. Farmers already have the legal right to hunt or trap "nuisance" animals under Title 7, Chapter 1, Sections 113 and 114.

According to the Delaware chapter of the Sierra Club there is no scientific basis for this legislation. By signing this petition we can show the members of the senate natural resources and environmental control committee that we as Delawareans oppose HB 25.