An Early Morning Encounter with a Red Fox

Early one morning, while still in bed, I heard a loud noise that awakened me suddenly from a sound sleep. As I lay there, I didn't hear anything. So I decided it must have been a dream. Then suddenly I heard it again. It sounded like a women screaming. I got up and went outside to listen so I could tell where it was emanating from in the neighborhood. Then I saw something across the street that I thought was a dog but strangely it had a tail almost as long as its body. It also had a very sharp nose and pointed ears. It was a red fox.

The Red Fox Yelped

As it walked under a street lamp I could see the fox vividly. Then as I walked toward it I heard it scream again. That scream was a definite call of some sort. It was interesting to see real wildlife up close to observe its features and actions. Seeing wildlife is unusual in North Metro Atlanta.This is not a wild area for animals.

I went back in the house and pulled out the F volume of World Book. I learned that the fox scream was referred to as a yelp. The yelp was designed to let other foxes know it was in the area. I learned that they urinated at certain points or stations for the same reason. Later on in the week I noticed every morning when I let my dog out it would go to areas in the yard and smell for the fox then urinate in the same spot.

Why are Foxes Good Hunters

Foxes are good hunters because they have a keen sense of sight, smell and hearing. Very quickly the fox can pounce a rodent before they know what happened. The year before we had a bad rat problem around the house. This year we had not seen any of the furry little creatures. Since the red fox is a natural enemy of the rodent family we decided having the fox around was a good thing.

Foxes also eat birds, rabbits, frogs, insects and lizards in addition to rodents. In addition to meat they will eat fruit. Foxes hunt at night in grassy or wooded areas.

How do Foxes Live

Foxes live in family groups. A week or so later we were coming back from a night out and noticed two adult foxes, with their pups following close as they crossed the road. According to the World Book the fox will mate in winter then give birth in early spring. They stick together until the young are gone then live solitary lives.

I have seen the fox again on several occasions in the neighborhood early in the morning. It doesn't yelp at me any more just keeps its distance and observes me as I observe him. I like having him around and he seems as much a part of our neighborhood as anyone

Cite: The World Book Encyclopedia, F Volume 7, 1990, ISBN 0-7166-0090-0, page 438.