When adorable foxes go bad…
After I posted about the cheeky fox at my work, Darnell and Calmgrove came up with the excellent fox names Talbot and Reynard. However it turns out that Shaily guessed where the story would go. Because the foxes (I found out there are two, conveniently since I have two names) have chosen a twisted path.
I was walking back from lunch and was surprised to see one of the foxes, Talbot I would guess, walking down the main path. Normally in daytime, when there are a fair few people about, the foxes are nowhere to be seen. Certainly not out in the sun. Then I saw that he was walking towards a toddler. Not quite stalking, but Talbot would stop every few steps and stare at the kid waddling about in a white jacket, then walk closer. This did not look right to me. Foxes don’t do that. It also didn’t look right to Jess and Mateo, who I saw were walking fast towards them.
Fox Talbot saw the two gardeners heading for him and did a few steps at a half-run, then stopped and stared at them. Then a couple more steps and then stood waiting. He didn’t seem afraid at all. When he did wander off, he sat a few metres away under a bush and had a bit of a roll around in the grass.
By now I’d made it over to the group and heard the child’s guardian explain what had been happening.
‘The foxes do come up to the kids sometimes. They’re not scared. Yesterday, one of them stole William’s ball. William chased after the fox to get it back, so the fox ran off. But then he came back with another fox, like he got reinforcements.’
I refuse to believe that Reynard and Talbot are bad foxes, they’re just misguided. But it does look like they might have set up an extortion business intimidating small children in order to take their toys.
What do we do now?
inkbiotic 
I recommend letting the toddler play with them for a few minutes. They’ll soon realise that humans are not to be trifled with…
Could they have just been wanting to play?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Or just let them listen to kids screaming for a few seconds! You think they wanted to play catch?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yea. They’re only dogs, aren’t they?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Their loves of ball games would suggest so.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have animal control relocate them out in the country. They have to go a minimum of like 20 miles or they will just ‘come back home.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not sure they’d get relocated, more likely get put down 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
They should relocate unless the fox are menacing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think Talbot was being inquisitive. He didn’t act threatening. He wanted to demonstrate how a fox can stop, drop, and roll…while Reynard steals toys. They make a good team, but I wouldn’t forget, they are predators. Cute predators. It’s best to observe from a distance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
To be honest, I’m more worried about the parents’ reactions to the foxes’ inquisitiveness than to the foxes themselves. Parents in our gardens can become vicious and unpredictable if they feel threatened. And they complain a lot.
LikeLike
That’s what parents do…🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Bullies of the playground…must have been a sight when two of them intimidated little kids to give up toys. Never thought foxes could be mean like that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Most animals have their mean moments, I guess. Except sloths. You’ll never find a sloth acting mean. Never. They use those big claws for freeing ducklings from drains.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t you think climbing down to drain will need a lot of energy?
LikeLiked by 1 person
He will need five leaves…that will be worth five months ration
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly, that’s the kind of sacrifice a sloth will make 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Attach a ball firmly to a bungee rope hung from a tree branch, but a little higher than you think the fox can jump. While you get the measure of what height that might be enjoy the sight of a Talbot (or is it Reynard?) imitating a yoyo with his/her teeth clamped round the ball. Cruel? Not at all, they’ll love it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I, and probably all my colleagues, might love it too. It’s even better than playing catch through tree branches with a rolled up pair of gloves (to date that has been our best game). I can just see Dan boinging up and down on the bungee while poor Talbot looks on jealously.
LikeLiked by 1 person