Another grey October day and just one photo tonight. It was taken at around 8.00 this morning at the edge of a local farm.
Even if I won't go out in the rain, the trail cam has little option, and last night it picked up this sequence between one of the regular foxes and a badger. The fox is ultra shy and to my knowledge has never been caught with the stills camera. You can see it's carrying its rear leg, an injury that has persisted over several weeks now. It seems mobile enough but the damage the leg is obviously more than the usual sprain.
Camera note: cat taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. Video from the Bushnell Trophy Cam.
gdare
20 Oct 2012Cute cat :awww: Did you feed it? 😛
derWandersmann
20 Oct 2012Looks like a nice, healthy cat.
Poor fox! Obviously it doesn't bear any weight at all. Still, it's amazing how these critters can get on with that sort of handicap.
Words
20 Oct 2012Darko, that cat didn't look like it needed feeding. Plenty of mice around there, I'm sure!
Words
20 Oct 2012dW, I've seen the fox put the leg down once or twice in clips, but generally it doesn't put any weight on it at all. It can certainly move quickly though! It may have broken it. Something like 70% of mature foxes suffer a broken bone (that heals) at one time or another. As for getting around, there are numerous 3-legged foxes that have been successfully released back into the wild.
SittingFox
24 Oct 2012It looks like a fracture to me. Hopefully it will fuse naturally but it must be pretty uncomfortable 🙁
Words
24 Oct 2012Adele, the injury has lasted much longer than the usual sprains so I'm sure you're right. It is now at least putting the leg down when it's standing, though not extended back to take any pressure or weight.