A few years ago I was visiting my parents in the suburbs. I was waiting in the car while my mom ran into the supermarket. A small fox ran across the edge of the parking lot into the woods behind the golf course. I hadn’t thought about that golf course or those woods in years. As teenagers we had our own map of the town with secret spots and back routes--but it wasn’t foolproof. We never saw foxes back then--they used to have a better map.
Amazing that you saw one in DC! they're so sneaky for the most part, especially in cities. I think most experts would say not to feed them, so that they don't become too comfortable around people (which is more a danger to them than to us). They're excellent scavengers, so no need to worry about them, even in the cold. Enjoy your fox neighbor.
Love this so much, thank you! The fox does the little head tilt towards the end. It's a bit like William Steig's Amos and Boris, an old favorite forever.
Not so many red foxes in my part of Oregon, where the tree-climbing Grey Fox is dominant.
A few years ago I was in Ukraine and visited Chernobyl. The snow was thigh-deep after a freakish spring storm. A flash of color captured my attention: in a nearby field, a red fox skimmed through the snow. It looked vibrantly healthy and regal, a beautiful reminder that no matter how massively we humans screw things up, Nature can sometimes find a way back.
A few years ago I was visiting my parents in the suburbs. I was waiting in the car while my mom ran into the supermarket. A small fox ran across the edge of the parking lot into the woods behind the golf course. I hadn’t thought about that golf course or those woods in years. As teenagers we had our own map of the town with secret spots and back routes--but it wasn’t foolproof. We never saw foxes back then--they used to have a better map.
Do you still have your map? I love the thought of these paths intersecting, of teenagers and foxes on the same page ...
There was one foraging through our yard in dc last night at 2 am. i was up, watched in transfixed. so cold and icy out, tempted to leave food out now
Amazing that you saw one in DC! they're so sneaky for the most part, especially in cities. I think most experts would say not to feed them, so that they don't become too comfortable around people (which is more a danger to them than to us). They're excellent scavengers, so no need to worry about them, even in the cold. Enjoy your fox neighbor.
Dear Amy, this is such a beautiful newsletter - thank you! Tweeted it out. Sincerely, Jenny
This is really nice to hear, thank you Jenny.
Judy in Connecticut alerted me to this video of foxes "laughing" !!
https://twitter.com/AnimalsWorId/status/1263748010921598977
The smithsonian video reminded me of this short film-https://youtu.be/k6kCwj0Sk4s
Love this so much, thank you! The fox does the little head tilt towards the end. It's a bit like William Steig's Amos and Boris, an old favorite forever.
Not so many red foxes in my part of Oregon, where the tree-climbing Grey Fox is dominant.
A few years ago I was in Ukraine and visited Chernobyl. The snow was thigh-deep after a freakish spring storm. A flash of color captured my attention: in a nearby field, a red fox skimmed through the snow. It looked vibrantly healthy and regal, a beautiful reminder that no matter how massively we humans screw things up, Nature can sometimes find a way back.
Susan, this is beautiful, thank you so much for sharing. I can only imagine what it felt like to see that fox.
I need to learn more about the grey fox and its tree-climbing skills!