A beautiful fox, gasping, panting, terrified.
It paused at the corner, gasping for breath, s/he looked straight into my eyes. Five to six seconds later the poor creature took off again, taking a diagonal line across the field, heading for the old school playing fields, and safety, I hope.
Foxy was not just out for a jog, he had been chased, hard. I could hear dogs in the distance, but I didn't see the hunt at all, thank goodness. They are not supposed to kill foxes these days, but of course they do.
The last time I saw the hunt around our village was quite a number of years ago. A spectacular sight, but my sympathies are always with the foxes.
This post isn't about the rights and wrongs of hunting, it is about that incredible moment when you lock eyes with a wild creature and there is that breathtaking moment of connection.
Have you enjoyed such a moment?
Oh my gosh, that poor fox. I've seen them close up, lovely animals, but never so close as to have eye contact.
ReplyDeleteWe saw a hare on the road a few nights ago. Just for a few seconds it stood and sniffed before leaping away. Love seeing these animals running free. I hope your fox is running free still!
I'm pretty sure that he is, Linda. I kept a look-out for as long as possible, ready to repel hunters if necessary. Lucky you seeing the hare, one of my favourites. Happy New Year!
DeleteOh dear!! I've never understood the concept of fox hunting. I'm such an animal lover no matter what it is that it's distressing to hear of using animals for sport. Your encounter with the fox makes me so sad.
ReplyDeleteSheri
Don't be sad, Sheri. He got away - and the hunt only comes around here once a year. I feel the same as you.
DeleteNo, Elaine, I never have. I can imagine the stomach clenching moment when you listened for the hunters. I do hope it worked out safely in the end for the fox. I saw so many of them in the old house, including an entire family gamboling and feasting on seventeen year locust hatchlings in our front yard.
ReplyDeleteMy brain was a whirl, Joanne, making plans on how I could put the hounds off scent - all I had was some aniseed sweets or star anise - plus my bolshie self, determined that they should not come onto our land! I would love to have seen that family of foxes! Happy New Year.
DeleteI hope the fox was able to find a safe place where hunting was not allowed.
ReplyDeleteA couple of months ago, near a subdivision, that is in a non commercial area, the neighbors and their children had been enjoying the sight of an albino deer quite often. It was full grown and had been living wild in that neighborhood for quite a while. We have a large population of white tailed deer in Missouri and many places appropriate for hunting them.
One day the news reported how the people in that neighborhood were very upset. Some "hunter", I use the term very loosely in this case, came and shot the albino deer and loaded it into his truck and drove away. The hunter was actually deer hunting in a neighborhood where the kids and people were out doing stuff. So dangerous. How manly of him (not). I hope anyone who eats that venison chokes on it, and any trophy from it he brings into his house brings him nothing but bad luck.
We have several foxes that roam our neighborhood. I love to see them on the rare occasions when that happens. Here in our area it is too near the city for them to be hunted (legally). One very early morning before just before daylight, I heard the strangest sound that almost sounded similar to a baby crying, except it was moving along an area that has a drainage culvert with trees on either side. I googled what that animal sound could be and discovered I had heard a fox calling out as it traveled along the culvert among the trees.
I despair of people, sometimes, Susie. That must have been very upsetting for everyone. I am happy to say that the hunt didn't find their way to our land, foxy is safe - and had they appeared I would have denied them access. Happy New Year!
DeleteWhat a special moment, I do hope the fox got safely away. We have urban foxes visit the gardens around here. One day in summer I was sitting outside and stood up to go back into the house when something attracted my attention, there was a fox no more than five or six steps away looking at me. I met her eyes and knew she was hungry for herself and cubs. I said very gently 'hello sweetie, do you want food?' she looked at me again, so very calmly I walked to the kitchen door and picked up food left by our old cat and took it outside, she was waiting, peeping round the greenhouse, as soon as I put the bowl down she was walking towards it. After she had eaten she curled up under a tree:)
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful creatures, aren't they, Rosie. I'm glad your fox got a decent meal. These encounters are very special. Toby (dog) was with me, but he simply stood by my side and looked, too. We were less than 3 yards away from the fox; I suppose he must have sensed the distress he was in.
DeleteHappy New Year!
It is illegal to hunt them with hounds, you could hav ereported them, not doubt anty hunt will.
ReplyDeleteHe was the fox who got away, thank goodness, I think he lost them when he crossed the river! I stood watch for quite a long time, no sign of horse or hound, Billy. I would have made sure that they didn't get past. Happy New Year!
DeleteI absolutely hate the whole shebang. The pro fox hunting lobby like to trot out the hoary old chestnut that foxes kill for fun. What they think they are doing tricked out in their finery galloping across the countryside? Killing for fun?.
ReplyDeleteLX
It is barbaric, Lettice, nothing sporting about it at all. I feel the same way about numpties who pay a fortune to have other people beat pheasants up into the sky so that they can shoot them. So sporting.
DeleteHappy New Year!
I came face to face, eyeball to eyeball with a very large owl one night. We both froze and I blinked first. It was spectacular.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been wonderful, electrifying. That moment of contact!
DeleteHappy New Year!
So many special moments. I am so glad to hear that the fox got away and that you would have denied access to your land. I remember camping with the children over the summer solstice, as we do every year, we could hear baby owls calling to their parents every night. One night I suggested we go look for them and unbelievably we found two of them. They were sat on the same branch, balls of white fluff looking straight at us. A special moment I will never forget.
ReplyDeleteYes! I once wrote on my blog about my connection with a gorilla at the zoo in Atlanta. It was amazing, he had such intelligence in the look. He also looked at the boys who were teasing and taunting him. I swear if he could have gotten out, he would have killed them. The look he gave me was different, I wish I could explain it better, I will never forget it. His name was Willie B. He had been captured as a baby from Africa, so he had been born free.
ReplyDelete