Who is that sunning himself in our garden? Still alert to danger with ears moving like radars, he's an experienced old dog fox with battle scars and a pronounced limp. I was twenty yards away at our kitchen door, behind the glass, knowing that if I opened the door he would be off like greased lightning. But he didn't mind the camera lens watching him from behind glass. Yet he kept looking my way just to be sure.
When it was time to go, he yawned a bit then sniffed the backsides of Beau and Peep, oddly disappointed - before pushing his snout through a hole in the hedge to visit next door's garden. Come again Mr Foxy! Maybe next time I will put out the leg of lamb that's in our fridge or would you prefer a live chicken?
Awww! What a handsome old fellow!
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in the country near a pond we would see a fox walking along the water's edge at twilight from time to time. Well, until we got a dog. After that he quit coming around, and we missed him.
Beautiful creatures!
In England we now have many urban foxes. Scavenging for food in a city might be easier than surviving in the countryside. Our urban foxes can be quite bold.
DeleteThe head vet at Stuttgart's zoo once told me that the estimated fox population in the city area of Stuttgart is 5.000. They have plenty to eat from people's rubbish, although rats and crows and river gulls are tough competitors. Therefore, sometimes they venture into the zoo at night, and in the past, they have been successful in killing flamingos and penguins. Now that they have electric fencing (activated only at night) around the flamingo pond and penguin territory, no further deaths by fox have occurred.
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant picture, the fox so close to the sheep!
I would love to have a fox as a pet. I would take him down the street on a lead and I would tie him up outside the supermarket while I went in to buy cans of dog food for him. Better to have a fox than a poodle or any other boring dog breeds. Sounds like Stuttgart should change its name to Foxstadt!
DeleteI always wanted a fox for a pet, too; he/she could curl up on my lap when I'm reading or watching telly, and I'd be stroking its lovely fur. I imagine them in character to be something of a mix between a dog and a cat - the nicest of both worlds, maybe. But I doubt I'll ever find out!
DeleteThose sheep look bored stiff.
ReplyDeleteFor fox sake Hippo!
DeleteWhile I was babysitting/chickensitting my landlords' chickens for a couple of days prior to Christmas while they were away, much to my dismay, I found three of the chickens dead one morning. A fox had tried to get into their mobile pen and they died from fear, I believe. I was heartbroken. Foxes are fairly prevalent up here on Tamborine Mountain.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't my fault but that didn't lessen my sadness over the death of the chickens. My landlords were very understanding and have since gotten rid of the mobile pen and are sticking to the secure permanent hen house that they have. Again, they are over in the UK for a few weeks (in Orford)...and again I'm head chicken feeder and cat-looker-afterer during their absence! :)
And your story reminds me of back in 1979 when my ex and I had just moved up to the Sunshine Coast to live. There was fox hanging around the house we lived in when we first relocated from Brisbane (we lived in the home his parents had built for their future retirement years for a few months).
DeleteTo my surprise I managed, one day, to get up close and personal to the fox and I stroked it on its nose! True story! Fortunately I had a witness...me ex was up on the verandah watching. It was quite amazing.
Well that proves that you are a Foxy Lady Lee!
Deletegreat post
ReplyDeleteaha very interesting
nice pics
http://goo.gl/k8IlI7
Thank you Hadi Agustin! You are so kind and welcome to this humble blog!
DeleteSince I came to the Island mink, hedgehogs and frogs have been released here and multiplied at a huge rate and cause immense damage to indigenous wildlife (the frogs are exempt from the latter charge so far as I am aware). Hopefully we will remain a fox-free environment. Lovely they may be in some ways but.....
ReplyDeleteI wonder what lay beyond your "but" Graham? "...I prefer squirrels"? "...now I need a shower so I can't finish this reply"? "...I have always had a phobia about foxes"?
DeleteAh, YP, who knows......?
DeleteYour photos of the fox are beautiful. I have always admired them. Here in California we are more apt to see a coyote, also a handsome canine.
ReplyDelete