NATURE: The annual chorus of lost fox cubs

There they are again, those long and lonely, drawn out cries that carry through the cool air close to midnight. They stem first from the woods near to home and then from all around, as if this annual chorus of lost fox cubs was cleverly coordinated.
The story is the same each summer. At three or four months of age foxes become inquisitive and adventurous. For all their young lives they remained in the earth, content to wait for their parents to return with food. At six weeks of age they began to explore the world outside of their home, and then to follow mother or father when these left to go hunting.
At the same time, vixens began to tire of the constant demands made by their offspring, and stayed away for increasing periods of time.
What happens then is uncertain. Some say the youngsters attempt to keep up with either parent but end up getting left behind and lost. Others assert that the vixen deliberately leads them into the woods and abandons them to look after themselves.
Initially, it seems this parting of ways is a temporary measure. But by the time September rolls around almost all cubs still alive will be independent and faring for themselves.
The countryside – and, increasingly, the town – is very well populated with these animals. A series of mild winters has meant small mammals such as rats, mice and shrews continue to breed through most of the year, giving foxes an abundance of food.
At present, much of the diet of cubs learning independence is made up of earthworms. On warm, damp nights, huge numbers of worms find their way onto the road, and foxes, as well as badgers and hedgehogs, quickly home in on this source of food.
A strip of tarmac makes an easy road for a lost fox cub, which must learn to provide for itself while attempting to carve a niche in the big wide world. They become wanderers and fugitives, doing their best to avoid confrontation with older animals that have established territories while continuing to learn their trade.
As we know well, many of these young animals come to an untimely end. Only one in five are expected to see out their first year, with road casualties accounting for a high proportion of deaths. Of course, we cannot blame drivers for every such incident. Rather, inexperienced animals of all sorts tuck into the verge at the sound of an oncoming vehicle and then make a panic-stricken attempt to flee at the last second, often with fatal consequences.
There is something to be said for traveling at a more sedate pace and taking the opportunity to enjoy what we see en route.
While foxes do cause problems for those inclined to keep poultry, more people than ever are finding enjoyment in feeding them, for these are intelligent animals able to solve a variety of puzzles when food is the prize. The only drawback with having them in the garden is their rather untidy habit of defecating close to their food source.
They leave piles of scat in exposed places, or very often in a slightly elevated position where it cannot be missed by any other of their kind (or by your shoe, for that matter), should one or more happen along that way. While I cannot vouch for it myself, experts assure us that much can be learned from the scent of fox scat, including details regarding the health and sex of the animal from which it originated. Let me know how you get on!
Among the many benefits of adopting a fox are efficient rodent control, for there might be nothing any fox likes better than a fat rat for lunch, nor anything more that householders would wish to avoid more (apart from a shoeful of scat).
A word of caution is needed here. Tiny fox cubs little bigger than kittens can sometimes be found in what appears a distressed state. The instinct of most of us is to care for and protect these little lives. However, rather than being hopelessly lost or abandoned, these animals have likely just taken a wrong turn, and if left to themselves will probably be discovered by their parents.
Those that are ‘rescued’ often turn out to be problematic. They harbour fleas, ticks and intestinal worms. They will be shy, sensitive animals that might be inclined to make good use of those sharp teeth with which they are endowed.
Enjoy them from afar.