Fox Kits See The Light

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The sun is just rising, making the green woodlands shine with golden light - and I wonder if the fox kits are aware of the intensity of the beauty around them . . . . . who knows? But this has been the first night they have spent outdoors, and again I wonder. Did the sound of the soft wind in the trees - the shine of the high stars - the far calling of the wolves across the valley - all new and different to those little foxes - but all part of the heritage which is theirs - did they understand any of it? Being foxes, exceptionally intelligent animals, most likely - yes.

The last time they spent a night outdoors was weeks and weeks ago. They were tiny, dark brown kits, with eyes tightly closed, and little ears probably waiting for the soft sound of their mother returning from a night of hunting, returning to suckle them so that, full of her warm milk, they could all settle down to sleep the long hours of daylight away.

Except that she did not return. A human, up from the big city for the first time after a long winter, shot her. Then found that she had used the dark shelter under his long-disused porch, for her den - and he found the five kits. He called an Animal Control officer; “Get these god-damned things outa here or I’ll kill them, too!” Carefully, the officer retrieved the kits and brought them to Aspen Valley.

Maybe a couple of weeks old at most, the kits were still dark brown, scarcely identifiable as foxes. And they were very hungry. So Janet warmed the Esbilac in a baby bottle, and settled herself to the task of feeding them, five times a day and once during the night. They sucked eagerly. After a few days their eyes opened, blue eyes, even then very intelligently regarding the world - most likely a very shadowy world at first, but gradually identifying the things around them - the scents from the neighbouring beavers and bears and birds. They wrestled with each other in the straw. Always, they grew. Their colour began to fade - from dark brown to the reddish colour that identifies them as true, wild, red foxes!

Finally they were weaned, and they discovered meat! In the wild their mother would have begun to bring them mice, and maybe the occasional chipmunk or small rabbit. They would have torn into it with their little teeth, growling mightily to try to scare their siblings away - grabbing mouthfuls and dashing away to eat it somewhere in safety. Here they had first cat food - difficult to grab bits of - but then chicken legs and wings and thighs. Absolutely delicious!

They outgrew their in-the-barn enclosure, and, yesterday, were ready for their first outside home. Janet filled a large enclosure with straw, evergreen for privacy, and two big hollow logs for dens. They were given a water dish and lots and lots of food. And then, the foxes were put into the enclosure - space! Around and around they ran, as near to delighted dancing as any fox could get!

Of course, the neighbourhood left something to be desired. Those same old beavers were right next door.

Sometime in the early fall the foxes, having been given all the appropriate shots to keep them healthy and safe, will go free. We choose such release places very carefully - far away from people and porches. In that moment when the fox realizes that it is free to run - it runs! It leaps over the tall grasses, it ducks under low bushes - it runs and it does not once look back. When a fox is finished with humans - it is finished!

Foxes enjoy life.

Their colour gradually faded.

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