INUVIK - Josef Carnogursky is thankful his five-year-old daughter didn't suffer a serious injury when a fox bit her last week during recess at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School.

But he's concerned that students are being put in harm's way with the presence of foxes around the school.

On Jan. 29 Brandon Adams, front, shows his buddy Wallace Goose where he spotted a fox earlier in the day near the school's playground. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

"What worries me is when the foxes start biting kids like that," he said. "I'm more worried about the smaller ones. Who knows whether (the foxes) have rabies?"

His daughter Myja Semmler, a kindergarten student at SAMS, was playing during recess the morning of Jan. 28 when a fox ran up to her and bit her on the leg. Myja was being supervised at the time and was taken to the hospital. Her skin wasn't broken by the bite.

Though her father is concerned about the number of foxes that have been spotted around the school, he said he knows it's a fact of life of living in the North. He said he believes school officials and renewable resource officers are doing their best to control the situation.

Since the fox encounter, renewable resource officers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have set baited traps under the building. So far no foxes have been caught.

Jason Dayman, SAMS vice-principal, said that if foxes are seen around the school, the students have to stay inside for recess. Students have been kept inside during recess about five to seven times over the past two weeks.

"The sightings have been off and on for the last year," he said. "Last week we've been getting a lot of sightings. We've been working with ENR on the issue.

"The concern is K to 6. The kids are little more curious. There's a lot of talk of rabies."

Toby Halle, renewable resources officer, said there's no evidence to suggest that foxes in the area are carrying rabies.

"We haven't had any complaints of rabid animals," he said.

He said foxes are probably attracted to the food scraps around the school. People have to avoid practices, such as feeding the animals, that contribute to them hanging around the community.

"Don't approach or feed wild animals," he said.

He said the renewable resources officers will continue to monitor the situation at the school.