Mommy Silver Fox and her children live in my horse pasture

Tweet

For many years we have had a family of silver fox that live near us. The silver fox is smaller then the red and is much more secret about their lives. http://members.tripod.com/wildrescue__1/id83.htm We have a mother that had her babies in the cliffs across the road from my house. All spring I would see her cross the road, go through the pasture to hunt and go back across the road with her catch to feed her young. Yesterday she began the process of moving her children into a new den she has dug in the back of a hill just outside the horse's fence. She's a little thing. Not much bigger then my cats. Her young has grown enough that she had to set them down in the middle of the pasture to take a breather and then off again. I think she may have 4 babies but may have missed a trip. The gelding and stallion don't bother her although she walked past them within a few feet. They sniff at her then go back to their grazing. Our little momma is a service to us also because she is an avid rat, mole, and mouse hunter so will keep the population down and every farmer/rancher will tell you that those pest can cost alot due to ruined grains and not to mention how they chew expensive horse blankets and tack. As her children begin to grow they will be eating insects also..another nasty pest! Every time our furry family removes a pest will be some pesticide that will not be put out in our world thus helping my environmental cause and my love of our Mother Earth. We have so many different partnerships that make our world work and I wonder if we even realize it. We can all live together if we just practice tolerance. This is written for my grandchildren ( Niamh and Niall included) whom I hope I am teaching a love and acceptance for the world around them. What's in your backyard? xoxoxoxoxoxo