Filming cute red fox cubs in a city garden in York!

You can watch more fox films here:    • Foxes  | Discover Wildlife | Robert ...  

JOIN MY MISSION
____________________

You can support my wildlife rehabilitation and conservation work by donating here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s... or joining one of my supporter communities: https://www.robertefuller.com/support...

ABOUT THIS FILM
____________________

Red fox sightings

It’s so much easier to watch red foxes in the city than in the country, where these quickwitted, sharpeyed mammals are very elusive. So, when a friend told me of a thriving population living near his home in York, UK I decided to use the opportunity to get up close to these animals.

Building an artificial red fox den

The project began with Colin and I digging a bespoke den hidden in his garden and rigging it with surveillance cameras. But, despite having created the perfect home for them, the vixen chose to give birth to her cubs elsewhere.

I soon find her den, hidden in a huge patch of brambles, and set up some cameras there. The footage showed that a vixen with two cubs and a dog fox occupied the site.

Dogs can be a danger to fox cubs

It also revealed that the den was close to a popular dogwalking area and I held my breath as I watched a large, black dog follow its nose directly to the fox home and look down one of the entrance holes.

Red fox families will move if they sense danger

As the fox babies grew, the vixen became afraid for their safety. Soon, she moved out of her bramblepatch den and into the haven of Colin’s garden – where I had already built her a readymade home for her youngsters to explore the world in safety.

Fox family settles into the home I built

I watched the young family from a hide I had built close by. I peered through my camouflage netting to see the dog fox bound onto a 6ft high wooden boundary fence then leap down into the garden. I watched it sniff around the patch before cocking its leg on one of my remote cameras and slinking off through a hole in the fence to continue patrolling its territory.

Next, the female emerged; one of her cubs trotting at her heels. As the cub lolloped past, the sunlight picked out a halo of long hairs poking through its woolly coat. Soon a second cub peeked through the gap in the fence and dashed to catch up with the others.

Together the cubs clambered over the logs, sniffing out treats that Colin had put out for them, and then began chasing each other around in circles. Next, they disappeared through the entrance to the fox den, and I watched on the screens connected to the cameras as they collapsed in a heap inside, exhausted by their antics.

Colin continued to keep me up to date with sightings and sent me regular updates from the cameras. One day he rang to let me know about something baffling: there were now more than two fox cubs in his garden.

Fox mystery

As the female suckled her cubs, a small head appeared through the hole in the fence and then another. Before I knew it a further three cubs had joined the other two and the vixen was now suckling five.

Over the next week, the cameras captured fox cubs tumbling about everywhere. It was difficult to keep tabs on them all and it took me several attempts before I finally counted a total of 10. Up until this point my cameras had only revealed two.

Red fox mums collaborate

The mystery was solved when a second vixen appeared on the scene and I realised the two vixens had joined forces to raise their cubs together. I had heard of vixens raising their cubs together in one large ‘family’, but I had never studied it.

I had headed to York in the hope of studying one family of urban foxes and had ended up with much more than I bargained for.

ABOUT ME
____________

I am a British wildlife artist and filmmaker on a mission to share my love for wildlife with the world. As well as creating detailed animal film and art portraits, I promote wildlife tours around the world and do all I can to help conserve and protect wildlife here at my home in Yorkshire. I hope that by putting nature in the frame I can foster a deep love for wildlife amongst my followers.

You may like to purchase my artwork which you can find on my website: https://www.robertefuller.com. Many of my paintings are portraits of the wonderful characters you watch here!

You can also follow me on these platforms:
Website: https://www.robertefuller.com
Facebook:   / robertefullerart  
Twitter:   / robertefuller  
Instagram:   / robertefuller  

___________________

© Robert E Fuller

Copyright Disclaimer: Please feel free to share my videos but do not download any content without permission with the intent to reupload. If you would like to license any content, please get in touch: [email protected]

#robertefuller #fox #redfox #discoverwildlife