My Favorite Fox Pup Photo

A few years ago, I sat in comfort with my back against an old box elder tree. I surveyed a mounded fox den from a few yards away while soaking up the sun. I had been playing this old game for a number of days, and the fox pups at the den now assumed I must be some strange, quiet uncle. I watched them through my camera lens, and they rarely watched back.

One fox, fixated on the smell of a pheasant feather, sprawled out in the black dirt and began to play with its toy. The little pup worked delicately at the plume of the feather until it got a firm hold. Then it stood up, posing, giving me the perfect picture. Cameras still required film back then, and I managed to capture just a single image of the moment. I knew my efforts had paid off, and the artistic image I had so hoped for had become a reality.

As I celebrated silently, beaming and grinning ear to ear, I felt a nudge at my foot. Looking down, I stared in awe as another fox pup bashfully retreated from having sniffed my shoe. In their versatility and curiosity, foxes give us a unique glimpse into the wild. In their successful explorations of a world humans have changed so much, they give us a chance to catch heartfelt glimpses into the wonders of the wild.

To view more of Brian's wildlife photography, visit his website at www.imagesinnaturallight.com.

Brian M. Collins