A very sleepy little fox

The bold vixen was back tonight. With her mobility reduced by her injured leg I suspect she may be struggling to compete with the other foxes. There are three regulars at the moment, the other two (shy) foxes often arriving together, but almost never when I'm around. Bold, on the other hand, has been visiting since she was a tiny cub, so knows she's welcome here.

We gave her a little bit of food when she arrived. She was obviously hungry, and there was no attempt to cache which is unusual for her.

She then decided to have a nap, settling down on the grass at the top of the garden steps. We sat and watched from about 5 or 6 feet away.

She really does seem to like the company (we are obviously good fox-cat-badger deterrents in her mind, allowing her to relax rather more than if she's alone), and she soon had settled into a good sleep. 😀
:zzz:

:zzz: :zzz: :zzz:

And there she remained, barely raising her head for a good half hour.

A noisy hedgehog at the rear of the garden eventually stirred her into something approaching wakefulness.

She went on her way having spent fully 40 minutes in the garden.
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Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 400D and Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro lens.

This entry was posted in Foxes and tagged .

12 Comments

  1. RobinL September 19, 2009 at 5:09 am #

    Wow, that is amazing. I'm sure glad she has found a safe port in the storm that is her life!

  2. gdare September 19, 2009 at 5:09 am #

    When animal falls asleep in presence of people it shows how much it trust them :happy:

  3. SittingFox September 19, 2009 at 7:09 am #

    Awww! It's definitely a high mark of regard when an animal chooses your garden to sleep in :zzz:

  4. Tabmartel September 19, 2009 at 8:09 pm #

    What a sweet little fox. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  5. Ukwildlife September 20, 2009 at 12:09 am #

    haha these urban foxes really can be ridiculously tame. Nice photos

  6. Words September 20, 2009 at 10:09 am #

    Thanks Tab! She really is one of the cutest foxes we've had the pleasure of knowing.

  7. Words September 20, 2009 at 10:09 am #

    Darko, she's figured out we're no much of a threat and I think she knows she will get some peace if she's with us.

  8. Words September 20, 2009 at 10:09 am #

    Neil, it is mad sometimes. Watching her, you realize how tough their life must be, and just how much they live on the edge of their nerves. It's nice to give her the chance to rest.

  9. Words September 20, 2009 at 10:09 am #

    Adele, the old dog fox used to do this. He'd come and just spend time in the garden, but she seems to have taken it to new levels.

  10. Words September 20, 2009 at 10:09 am #

    Robin, yes she feels very at home here. It's quite unusual (only one other fox has been this relaxed with us), but she's a delight.

  11. Flying Red Fox Blog September 21, 2009 at 7:09 am #

    Awwww shes so cute :love: Sweet dreams Bold, apparebtly they are asleep but their ears are wide awake how clever! 😀

  12. Words September 21, 2009 at 7:09 am #

    Mark, yes she's decided she wants to be the cutest fox in town. 😀