I am getting braver with the fox kitts

[AnnMorin]

They don't seem to mind me at all- the look up as I click away with my camera but that is about it. I wonder how much longer they are going to be around, they are about the size of my dog now (she is a westie 15 pounds) If anyone wants to see the latest pics (I have three good ones- one shot has four of the five of them in it) and knows how to post them email or pm me and I will email them to you.

 

[jamsmom]

I sure hope someone who knows how to post them wil post them for you

 

[AnnMorin]

If not carol if you send me your email I will email them to you so you can see them, they are just so adorable,, my DH keeps telling me I am nuts to get so close to them but they really don't mind me.. kinda like Jane Goodall and the chimps..don't pay attention to the crazy lady with the camera

 

[chris1gill]

I'd like to see them too, but where is there mother? I wouldn't be worried about the babies, so much as the mother!!

 

[AnnMorin]

They deliver food such as rabbits and hens to the kitts. In the beginning when mom was still in the den with them the father fox spent all day sitting on top watching, once they were old enough to come out (about the second week of April) the father was gone most of the time and mom would watch them, anytime there was a noise she would hurry them back into the den. ( I taped all of this from our upstairs window) About two weeks ago mom started leaving for extended periods of time and the kitts became more curious. First we thought there were only two of them but now know there are five. Mom is rarely around and the kitts are now gone for part of the day- she must be taking them on hunting trips. As they are getting too big for all to fit in the den at once now I figure we will be losing them soon as mom will move them farther into the woods to teach them how to sleep in the wild- foxes do not live in dens except when they are birthing and raising young.

 

[chris1gill]

Wow!! How interesting!! But shouldn't the mom be sleeping during the day to hunt at night? I thought foxes rarely come out during the day? It's sort of lucky for you that you've been able to document the whole process!

 

[AnnMorin]

Actually it is quite interesting,, (and I do have five tapes of them, we first saw the tracks in the snow of the parents and then watched one run one day right into my back yard - low and behold over the snow you saw a mound of dirt and they had made a den!) when I first found out we had a "pack" I called the environmental police to make sure it would not be unsafe. I found out that foxes are in the canine family and will be aware and hunting in the daytime as well as the night. I had thought they were only nocturnal animals and was concerned as to why they were out and about in the day. When I first saw the kitts they were grey and tiny, I thought the father had a squirell to feed to the mother but then it moved and I realized it was a kitt, they were very tiny at first. After about a month their legs turned black and their coats orange. they are adorable to watch they pounce and jump a lot like simba on the lion king.

 

[chris1gill]

All I can say is CUTE!!!

 

[AnnMorin]

Chris if you send me your email address I will send you the photos, they are so neat!

 

[AnnMorin]

they are on their way chris

 

[Rajah]

I wanna see I wanna see!

(And if I can remember to do so when I get home, I can post them)

 

[AnnMorin]

I just emailed you three of them,, I am going to have to go get more film as they are so cute today- I noticed that the tips of their ears are now black as well as their legs, this is new within just the past few days.

 

[Rajah]

These kits are so CUTE!!!!

 

[C.Ann]

How adorable!! We have a den with kitts near our lake house too every single year, but we can't locate exactly where it is.. We see Mom & Dad all the time though - especially in the evenings when we're sitting by the campfire.. I'd LOVE to be able to see the kitts, but so far no luck..