Nashville’s Mange Crisis and the Man Saving Foxes | Nashville News

In Nashville, a seventy-eight-year-old singer-songwriter named Jerry Vandiver is leading the charge against a devastating mange epidemic ravaging the city’s red fox population. Logging over 230 hours in just one month, he traps, transports, and treats sick foxes—many found barely alive—volunteering with Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Center. Despite the physical toll and relentless demand, Vandiver remains undeterred, driven by his belief that mange is treatable and that every fox deserves a second chance. As rescue numbers soar past last year’s record, experts link habitat loss and rodenticide use to the crisis, urging residents to avoid feeding wildlife or using poisons. For Vandiver, the true reward lies in releasing healed foxes back into the wild—a quiet, hopeful farewell he treasures above all else. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Sources:https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2026/09/15/nashville-fox-mange-rescue-jerry-vandiver/91659167007/ More coverage & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/156dc0a4c7d9c543 Report issues to [email protected].