Fox News

[Kathy]

I must find something else to do other than take photos of foxes all day (perhaps).

Please don't.

+1

[Paul]

.

[Wowbagger]

We chased a little fox cub up Welders Lane one night - I think it was July 2010.

Why is it that when Roger makes a statement like that I'm always thinking that there must be some alternative meaning to what he's saying? "Chasing a fox cub up Welders Lane" could be any one of a vast array of perversions.

Splendid photos, Jo.

[TimO]

Those are great photographs.

I especially like the ones which show the adults and the cubs, and which demonstrates how small the cubs are, since even adult foxes aren't all that big.

I've found some of the urban foxes to be incredibly cheaky, and to barely take notice of humans.  They certainly don't see us as much of a threat.  Once, on an early morning ride to Greenwich to meet up for the start of a ride, when I was stopped at a traffic light, one urban fox actually started to trot towards me.  I assume that (s)he had possibly been fed by someone, so was not only accustomed to humans, but saw them as a source of food.

Much as they look incredibly cute, and naively may appear to be potential pet material, I suspect your average fox is crawling with pests, and would probably be more than happy to demonstrate teeth and claws to you, if cornered.  Whilst to our eyes then don't look massively distinct from cats and dogs, I imagine their lack of millennia of being associated with us, doesn't lend them to domestication to quite the same degree.

[Snakehips]

Many years ago I saw a guy a couple of times on the Victoria underground line with a tame (or so it appeared) adult fox. When he got off at Walthamstow station he carried it up the escalator on his shoulder.

[why1040]

Those foxes are very squeee-worthy!

Slightly off-topic but in keeping with the tameness thing...

When we lived in the States, my father walked to the station early in the morning to catch the train into NYC for work.  For about a month, he had regular companionship courtesy of a skunk that walked with him... 

[Ham]

Lost foxcub this morning  (Thanks to jo for the link. Insufficient Es in my search for squee)

[Ham]

Oh, and just for good measure have one of my fave fox pics:



or another:

[red marley]

I've caught sight of the fox family most days in the last week, but the rain does seem to confine them to their den. The cubs spend most of their time playing rough and tumble with each other and look like quite a handful. They've now taken up to digging mini fox holes in the lawn:



They seem to be learning caution from the adults so now are a little more wary of me when I'm in the garden. That hasn't stopped them playing around my feet on occasion, I think because they haven't realised those foot things are attached to a human bean.

The non-mother adult (father or aunt, I'm not sure) spends quite a lot of time babysitting them when they play. It looks like exhausting work.

[Valiant]

See now I'd be trying to play with them. Not sure if that's safe though? Since the cats have started striking back in our area we've not seen any foxes. We used to see 3 or 4 a night. Now we see one if we're lucky.

[red marley]

For more urban fox action, Channel 4 are running a 'foxes live' programme on Monday at 8pm as well as various live webcams, surveys and a fox census.

See http://foxes.channel4.com/

[pcolbeck]

See now I'd be trying to play with them. Not sure if that's safe though? Since the cats have started striking back in our area we've not seen any foxes. We used to see 3 or 4 a night. Now we see one if we're lucky.

Not a good idea. People interacting with them too much removes their fear of humans then you get them going into houses and biting people and stories in the press of them attacking babies etc.  They aren't domestic dogs and it would take generations to tame them properly (see the Russian experiments for details).

[AndyK]

For more urban fox action, Channel 4 are running a 'foxes live' programme on Monday at 8pm as well as various live webcams, surveys and a fox census.

See http://foxes.channel4.com/

There's some appalling trolling of the programme's Fb page being done by pro-hunters.

[red marley]

Predictably yes, but there are also live den cams *currently watching a vixen suckle her three cubs* Remember foxes, you are live on Channel 4, please do not swear.

[mattc]

See now I'd be trying to play with them. Not sure if that's safe though? Since the cats have started striking back in our area we've not seen any foxes. We used to see 3 or 4 a night. Now we see one if we're lucky.

Not a good idea. People interacting with them too much removes their fear of humans then you get them going into houses and biting people and stories in the press of them attacking babies etc.  They aren't domestic dogs and it would take generations to tame them properly (see the Russian experiments for details).

IIRC the Russions didn't "tame" them, it was more selectively breeding for tame characteristics.

The resultant animals looked far more like domestic dogs than their ancestors.(Who were wolves, not foxes. Again IIRC. Fascinating program! )

[red marley]

There have been fewer sightings of the cubs in the last last couple of weeks. I think this is partly due to the colder wetter weather, but also as they grow up they are becoming more nocturnal.

For the last week or so I was worried that some of them might have died as I only ever saw one or two cubs at a time. They were also noticably more cautious, running to the den or deep undergrowth at any sign of humans.

Thankfully, last night I saw all five cubs back to their playful selves. Whatever trauma they may have witnessed last week seems to have been forgotten. Now they have moved to nighttime exploration and play there are few photo opportunities, so here is a video of them playing at about 5 weeks old:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/DhAViwNx9i8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/DhAViwNx9i8&rel=1</a>

And then a couple of weeks later, learning how to be wary from their aunt:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/F6BuBL7D-Sk&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/F6BuBL7D-Sk&rel=1</a>

[lou boutin]

Wow. What wonderful videos. 

[mattc]

So what's the etiquette for your current house-share setup, Jo?]

have you simply abandoned the garden to the new residents? (Do they have gardening duties?)

If not, do you book time slots to use the garden? Or does their urban foxy instinct let them know when you plan to venture into the shared space?

(One day, London foxes will share a BBQ on the patio with their landlords.)

[L CC]

Thanks for sharing. They're brill.

[red marley]

So what's the etiquette for your current house-share setup, Jo?]

Having just returned from watching them play in the garden for the last 30 minutes, they are very generous in letting me use the garden as along as I am still and don't make too much of a noise. We are allowed to keep the bikes in the shed above their den as long as we don't disturb their sleep when taking the bikes in and out.

It does feel a bit like living with a load of two year olds. Toys strewn around the place, constantly picking up after them. Their current favourite thing is doing a 'wall of death' speeding round the garden chasing after each other. As you can see from the vids, they are not ones to respect the carefully planted foliage.

Can't say I'm complaining though.

[a lower gear]

Fascinating - and congratulations on excellent photography!

Spent 25 minutes this evening watching two adult foxes and six cubs playing at the bottom of our garden using binoculars from an upstairs window - brilliant! The two adults did a little rough and tumble with each other but nothing serious - they seemed mainly to be encouraging the cubs to chase and run. Boy did the cubs move fast. Interesting to see one adult repatedly jump onto the top of a five feet high wall.Three cubs were distinctly larger than the other; does this suggest two vixens and two litters? 

[red marley]

Another night, another magical experience being surrounded by playful and curious cubs. Their attitude to me is really interesting. If I am quiet, they will glance at me, but then soon ignore me, I think forgetting I am there, or perhaps just not really knowing how to treat people. At one point this evening I was lying down on the ground, and a curious cub came right up to me, nose to nose, cautiously trying to make sense of who or what I was.

So here's tonight's video of them exploring the garden. In the background you can hear the very loud Pool frogs we have in the ponds in our neighbours' gardens (and occasionally ours). You might also hear the mother's "come here at once!" call at about 0:58 in.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/d278ZWkC3GY&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/d278ZWkC3GY&rel=1</a>

[Auntie Helen]

I love the way theY stand still and then pounce with all four feet off the ground!

Fab photos and videos, thanks!

[red marley]

My how they grow up fast. The cubs are now about 10 weeks old and busy trashing the garden and hassling anything that moves or looks like it might bring food.

It's the parents I feel sorry for.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/zclRT1NwVmY&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/zclRT1NwVmY&rel=1</a>

[red marley]

Being away from home for a while and with rather wet weather, I'd not seen the cubs for a while. But this morning, with a sunny start, they were out in the garden. Spot the difference?

As first seen in April:


and today, two months later:


I've only seen three at any one time, so don't know if they've all survived, but the ones I have seen seem healthy and happy:





They spend less time these days playing with each other, and more time hunting for furry and feathery things. Or at least daydreaming about doing so: