A fox story.

A friend of mine had been e.mailing me and telling me all about her fox 'Vixie.' I asked her to write about it in story form for me so that I could pass it on to you. Here's her tale:

Hi Eileen,

Here's the story of 'Vixie' you wanted.

The garden next door to mine is a mass of overgrown brambles as nobody tends it. For some years now we have had fox families living there.

Two Summers ago the family ventured over the wall into our garden and used to regularly visit with the babies - and it was a joy to see them playing and running around chasing each other in the lights of the garden (their favourite game was hiding and pouncing from under my grandson's small trampolene). As late Summer came, the cubs grew - and moved on - but one stayed with its mum. I first noticed her sleeping in the sun - and took my first photograph of her from the window of my first floor flat in a South London Victorian house.

It was only a matter of time before I was leaving scraps out for her to eat (I have 2 cats who are fussy eaters - and there was always something left over) - together with raw eggs and liver - even tins of dog food bought specially for her. As time went on, she became a permanent visitor to the garden and we named her Vixie (original I know !!!) every time I was out there - she would hear me opening a greenhouse door, or I would call her - and I always had something for her - it was then that I noticed her tail was bent (possibly broken when she was a baby I later found out). I assumed she was going to stay behind with mum to help with any new litters that came along.

Christmas came and went and it was in January 2005 I noticed some of her fur was going thin (I had noticed this on other foxes I had spotted in the area)- and over a few weeks, it became quite bad. I contacted an internet fox association who confirmed my suspicion of mange - and sent me some drops to give her.

"Doctored" honey sandwiches went down a treat and soon her fur was growing back and she was doing quite well. By this time, she had her own little personality, she would be very nervous if I had strangers with me - but with Hubby and myself alone in the garden she was always a welcome visitor. I could get quite close (though I didnt want to be close enough to handle her - for obvious reasons - resisting my urge to give her a cuddle !!!) - one instance comes to mind when hubby and I were digging - using a ball of string as a level - with the string having been taken from the middle of the ball - Vixie picked up the ball of string and ran with it - of course the string unravelled from the centre until there was nothing left which she could not quite understand where it had gone, and we laughed at her searching for it.

This went on until the end of April last year, she suddenly stopped visiting - I called her, left food out, but nothing. I couldnt understand it - but knowing the high death rate of foxes from road traffic accidents etc, I can only assume she is dead - as I couldnt believe she would just not come back at all after being with us every day since she was young. I was (and still am) devastated, but am hoping that she met a mate and has moved to raise her own family.

I hope your friends like my story Eileen, albeit with the sad ending. Speak soon.

_________________

I love the fox story. I have one too. Fox are not native to our area. So imagine my surprise when I was driving to a client in northeast Olympia and one popped up out of the ditch then ran off into the brush. I was so excited and I told my client all about it. She said that in the fifties her father on this same farm complained of fox in the chicken coops. No one believed him until he trapped one. They found out later that there used to be a fur farm out there many years ago and when it did not prove a success the owner turned the foxes loose where they survive to this day to the delight of many. Those raising poultry find it not so delightful. All the fox are collectively known as Murphy. I always look for Murphy when I am out in that neighborhood.

muddy