Wildlife is the most amazing thing on earth, from the beauty of urban foxes to the graceful garden variety bird. I have lived in the this area for over 20 years and only recently realised there are urban foxes (vulpes vulpes) and this was purely by chance.
We have a security camera facing the garden. It was winter and the snow was deep on the ground, stopping us from closing our gates. The following day we viewed the footage to find four little visitors to the garden. Four beautiful red urban foxes. We watched in amazement as they came one by one and foraged for food in the snow. It was then I read as much as I could about these amazing creatures.
Putting Out Food
It was at this point I gave them a little incentive to come back for a visit. I bought a couple of chicken thighs, deboned them and put them out with two eggs for our new furry friends. We waited and watched for them to come back and at 11pm they came. They were a little apprehensive at first about the food we had put out. Eventually they started taking bits away with them. The thing you have to remember is NOT to give them too much. You don’t want them to become dependant on the food you put out so just small amounts.
They are now regular visitors to our home every night. Hope is the smallest of the four. She has damage to her back leg so we give her medicine from the vet, a pain killer and an anti-inflammatory. Leicester is the next smallest, he is all brown. Arrow has a large white tip on his tale and Dart has a small tip. They are all so funny with their own little ways and personalities.
About Urban Foxes
Foxes are omnivores so they eat just about anything. They are pretty fond of chicken, dog food, cat food and table scraps. They mate in January and are usually expecting by February. This is the time they start looking for dens to give birth. Either re-opening old holes or under your sheds. Anywhere they can make a safe environment to give birth to their cubs. The vixens give birth in Mid March and while the vixens are with the cubs, the others go out for food. They take it back to feed her as she will stay with them until they are old enough to go out alone. Cubs are born deaf and blind and can not thermoregulate for the first two weeks. It is pretty rare that the mother leaves them during this time.
The Cubs
By the end of April the cubs will be eating solid food so the Mother can leave the den looking for scraps to take back to them. May is the time that you would likely see the cubs around the den playing during dawn and dusk. The adults forage for food to take back to them at intervals during the night. If the den is discovered they are likely to leave it and find somewhere else to live so try to stay away, and not disturb them.
Urban foxes have lived in our towns and cities since the 1930’s and have adapted really well. They are just as “at home” here as we are. If you remove a fox from its territory is will just be taken by another fox within days. Vixens calls are a high pitch scream which sounds pretty chilling if you don’t know what it is. A male call is more like a barking noise. These are thought to be mating calls and are usually heard during mating season.
