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Tales of a South Downs fox... and other ramblings

Bold Vixen update

Sunday, 27. September 2009, 23:47:28

,

After about a week of nightly visits, Bold changed her habits and started showing up in the small hours. Too late for me, though not for the trail cam. She was back tonight though, still hopping/limping, and as pretty as ever.

Caching, in dry and dusty soil

Investigating (a hedgehog was lurking)

See how she's carrying her left front foot

It was a short visit by recent standards. She went back behind the shrubs and quite possibly stepped on the hedgehog. An explosion of movement and she departed through a gap in the fence. The hedgehog seemed ok. Well, I could see a round puff-ball of spikes and hear loud panting. I'll check on it again later.

Tonight's video clip is one of the two shy foxes and a brief flurry of fur as it encounters a neighbourhood cat.

Cat and Fox Encounter
Nature Blog Network
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS lens.

Cormorant and PeregrineCaterpillar Tents

Comments

Darko 28. September 2009, 04:38

Is it possible that her leg is broken, because this limping lasts a way too long?

Mark Jones 28. September 2009, 16:01

Wow she has a nice thick brush! :D and the cat and fox video - :lol: I think the Fox is more nervous of the cat after that pounce.

Robin 28. September 2009, 16:29

She's such a pretty girl. Hope she gets better soon.
I sure wish people could control their cats.

Words 28. September 2009, 18:11

Darko, yes a broken leg is a very real possibility. By the time a fox is five years old, around 70% of them will have suffered a broken bone. Even with young foxes about 1/3rd have a break in the first year of life. It is really tough out there for them, but they cope incredibly well.

Words 28. September 2009, 18:13

Mark, yes she's getting her thick coat on for winter. They always look great this time of year. That cat was mean, but the fox would keep putting its nose closer (typically dog-like and about as bright!).

Words 28. September 2009, 18:14

Robin, I'm confident the leg will heal (or at least won't stop her getting about). The cats are a bit of nuisance. I like them, but there are just too many of them out at night.

Adele 29. September 2009, 17:43

That was an interesting catch for the trail cam - glad the fox wasn't hurt. I think what's needed is a change in the law to make cat owners responsible for their pet's behaviour in the same way that dog owners are. I could (theoretically) have been jailed if I'd let Kelly kill protected wildlife, but if I let Foot do so (which of course I wouldn't) then the law doesn't blink. That makes no sense.

Anyway, the bold vixen is beautiful, and she does seem to be adapting well. Maybe she'll always have a limp from now on.

Words 29. September 2009, 19:35

Adele, yes I was pleased to see the fox escaped unharmed (at least from the little I could see on cam). The law rarely much sense in these areas.

Bold does occasionally rest the bad foot, but a permanent limp does seem likely. She's fast enough on it, but does tend to take rests a lot of the time!

Mark Jones 29. September 2009, 20:29

I think its a bit trickier to control cats as they can go where humans cant but control dogs behaviour certainly.

I could be wrong though, you could train a cat. P:

Words 29. September 2009, 20:57

You may not be able to train a cat to 'leave', but you can keep it in at night. Dogs would also hunt if they were allowed out on their own, so it's really just a matter of human behaviour.

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