Sunday, December 18, 2016

Yellowstone Fox Photos





All images courtesy of  Rick Bates

Winter Fox Photos


Cold weather is upon us and these winter days can be a drag sometimes... To brighten up your day, Bored Panda has put together a list of adorable foxes in the snow.
With their beautiful coats, pointed ears, long snouts, and bushy tails - foxes are just too cute not to love! Expect to see different photos of the adorable little creatures in all of their fiery red, steely gray or snow-white beauty. Keep on scrolling to take a look and don't forget to vote for your favorites!
Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography

Winter Fox Photography
Winter Fox Photography
 
source: Bored Panda
 

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Once Nearly Extinct California Island Foxes No Longer Endangered


A Santa Catalina Island fox pup dashes into the wilderness after being released on Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. The Catalina Island fox was one of the world's most endangered species, but it has been upgraded to "threatened."
A Santa Catalina Island fox pup dashes into the wilderness after being released on Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. The Catalina Island fox was one of the world's most endangered species, but it has been upgraded to "threatened."
Kevork Djansezian/AP 
 
Just 12 years ago, researchers feared that the California Island fox, a species about the size of a cat inhabiting a group of islands off the Southern California coast, was toast. Nonnative predators and pesticides had dramatically reduced their ranks. The few that remained were placed on the endangered species list.

Now, thanks to an aggressive recovery effort, U.S. wildlife officials have removed three subspecies on San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz islands from the endangered list. A fourth subspecies, the Santa Catalina Island fox, has been upgraded from "endangered" to "threatened."

After being trapped, a female island fox, about 3-years-old, is examined before being released back into the wild on Santa Cruz Island
After being trapped, a female island fox, about 3-years-old, is examined before being released back into the wild on Santa Cruz Island
Reed Saxon/AP 
 
Officials say the Island foxes' recovery is the fastest of any mammal ever listed under the Endangered Species Act.

"We're ecstatic that we've reached this point so quickly," Steve Henry, field supervisor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's office in Ventura told the Associated Press.

Researchers say the Channel Islands have been home to the diminutive Island fox for thousands of years, but no one knows how they wound up there in the first place. They do know that in the 19th Century, ranchers and farmers introduced non-native pigs, cattle and sheep. Later, DDT wiped out the native, fish-eating (and therefore fox-friendly) bald eagle. In its place came the non-native golden eagle that preyed on feral pigs and island foxes.

By 2000, only a few dozen island foxes remained.

The recovery effort was a collaboration between the National Park Service, Nature Conservancy and Catalina Island Conservancy in a multi-stage program involving relocating the golden eagles, eliminating feral pigs, and then trapping and captive-breeding the Island foxes.

The pigs had to go first. Some animal rights groups weren't happy that thousands were tracked by helicopters and shot by snipers. With the pigs gone, the golden eagle departed, some voluntarily, others not.
"Re-introducing the bald eagle helped evict the golden eagle because the bald eagle is dominant and it eats fish, not foxes," said Jeff Miller, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity. "Other golden eagles were trapped and relocated."

By 2008, about a year after the pigs were eliminated, some 230 captive-bred foxes were released into the wild. There are now almost 6,000 on the four islands.

Miller said the on-going threat of disease, particularly canine distemper, is still a problem and the reason why the Catalina Island fox is still considered a threatened species. A vaccination effort is underway.

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Photographer Reveals Rarely Seen Side Of Wild Foxes


Joke Hulst is a Dutch Photographer who captures the everyday lives of foxes in beautifully intimate photographs. Based Amsterdam, Netherlands, Hulst’s pictures have been viewed almost half a million times on 500px, and it’s easy to see why when you take a look at the photographs below.

She refers to herself as “a hobby photographer” but we’re sure you’ll agree that her pictures look like the work of a professional. The photographer uses a Canon 600D and a Canon 7D Mark II with various Canon and Sigma lenses (such as a Canon EF 100-400mm f / 4.5-5.6L IS USM and a Sigma DC 17-70mm f / 2.8-4.5), which allows her to get up close and personal with her adorable subjects without scaring them away. Be sure to check out her work on her 500px page, where you can also buy prints of her best pictures.

Like what you see? Then check out Roeselien Raimond here and here for more amazing pictures of foxes.

More info: 500px

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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Photographer Proves That Every Fox Has Different Personality

10 hours ago by Lina D.
When, during the sixties, Jane Goodall gave wild chimpanzees a name instead of a number, she put the science world upside down. Anonymous animals were no longer nothing but a number. With something apparently as simple as a name, she validated their individuality and uniqueness.
“When you face a fox, you face personality.”

Many years from then, we still tend to grossly underestimate our fellow earthlings and regard them like interchangeable particles of a uniform set. Did you ever realize that “the fox”, as our beloved pet dog or the cat, consists of countless individuals, each with their own specific characteristics? Some a little dumb, others quite intelligent. Some creative and entrepreneurial, other boring and passive and some even downright funny. So many foxes, so many faces. Literally! And each “face” hides a unique character. Since all those faces speak volumes, I’d like to introduce you to 12 prominent fox personalities:


Smiling Fox

The mother of all foxes. Almost literally. Relaxed must have been her middle name and enjoying her second nature. Being the personification of satisfaction itself, she could just calmly sit in the sun for hours and hours, watching her grandchildren play and relish this sight. Moreover, she was living proof that animals can smile.
Motto: It’s All Right. It Always Has Been and Always Will be.

Miss Fox

Quite a character; a fox with attitude. No one ever mocked this lady, not even her little fox kits. Go to Mom’s authority; bite guaranteed. And with the looks. With her bright red, full coat, her slender muscular body, long straight nose, proud ears and irresistible smokey eyes, she would win any beauty contest with ease. Probably she was less talented with regard to her choice of men, since most of her offspring wasn’t blessed with her beauty, but born with a jaw abnormality instead.
Motto: I’m Too Sexy For This Site.

Hunter Fox

This lady in red was standing front row when red coats were distributed. Never before I saw a fox with such a perfect red cloak. The same goes for the distribution of self-confidence and courage. As a young fox she proved to be a mistress in making perfect mouse jumps. While her siblings lied lazily in the sun, she fanatically worked on her pouncing skills. And this discipline paid off; nowadays she bets higher and may call herself the mistress of chasing rabbits.
Motto: You Say Jump, I Say ‘How High? 

Funny Fox

Should fox humor exist… she’s definitely got it! As well as a huge fox heart. When her big sister left the parental territory, she decided, against all fox mores, to come along. As a reward for room and board she treated her sister with a daily cleanup. When the Queen Mum died, she became alpha fox willy-nilly. Someone’s got to the job, right? From airy joker, she turned into a lady who knows the ropes. By resolutely wiping mothers lovers from the territory, she claimed direct order. She may be one of the smallest foxes, but size does not matter in fox country. Owning the biggest mouth does.
Motto: It’s a Womans World.

One-Of-A-Fox

Being the smallest and weakest of the litter, she worked her way up to crowd pleaser. Rightly so. She had tough competition to her beauty queen mum, but won the race on character points. With her uniqueness, she became the uncrowned princess of the dunes. And despite her slightly misshapen jaw and unfoxy coat, she was a beauty as well. She proved that an animal has a free will and is able to make her own personal choices.
Motto: I Did it my Way.

Old Dog Fox

When I first met him he was already very old. As one happy grandpa on a bench at the jeu de boules, he was sitting in the sun. With a face only a mother could love and his unabashed attitude, he made me laugh. Had he been a man, he would, like an old expired hippy, go on and on about his childhood mischiefs.
Motto: Happy happy joy joy.

Serious Fox

The most respectable fox of the class. Unlike almost all other foxes, she actually has no bad habits at all. She therefore is the only one who actually behaves by the book and does exactly what you would expect from a red fox. She hunts mice, she sleeps, she eats, she cares for posterity, brings them up and chases her boys away as soon as they reach adolescence. You won’t find them neater. And not more boring either. (sorry, Serious Fox!)
Motto: Why Not so Serious?

Don Fox

The Don Juan of foxes. Before reaching the age of one year, during mating season, he ran through the dunes like a madman. No female fox could resist this sad, intense gaze. All female foxes, from minor to elderly, he wrapped around his paw effortlessly. Big chance that in the the future the dunes will be flooded with little fox kits with this intriguing sad glance…
Motto: Who’s Your Daddy?!

Eager Fox

As a young fox her favorite thing in the world was to steal just dug up lizards from her brother. This hunting technique was successful until puberty, when little brother suddenly became big bro and revised ratios. Since that time she has improved her hunting techniques, specializing in the looting of nests. Once a thief, always a thief, but a very sweet thief indeed!
Motto: Better well stolen than bad invented.

Hyper Fox

Small enthusiastic madcap with grand ambitions to succeed her mother as alpha fox; the sooner the better. She bended the fox rules by becoming teenage mom. She dominates the biggest and strongest men with her own secret weapon: terrible hysterical squeaking that makes the biggest fox shrimp. And all this is totally compensated by her wonderful sweet character and a gorgeous smile, she inherited from her grandmother.
Motto: It’s Mine, Even Though it’s Not.

Modest Fox

Lacking a mirror, he will never know how irresistibly handsome he is and is doomed to remain the modesty itself. Never will he thrust itself upon on and beau as he is (or just afraid of another shouting match) he let go of all females. No matter how agitated it gets, he will keep his composure. Always. And wait quietly.
Motto: My Time Will Come. Maybe. One Day.

Beaten Fox

Aight. This guy may look like the Mike Tyson among foxes, with his imposing shaggy stature and scarred face. But looks can be deceiving and you couldn’t be further from the truth. This is the sissy among foxes. Even the smallest female fox gets him squeaking on the floor effortlessly. He is a softy that’s literally scarred by a heavy fox’ live. He probably thinks back with nostalgia to the days when the vixen accepted him as a partner in his territory, removed his ticks and licked his wounds. Fox life can be hard and regrettably the heyday of romance and loving care are over for him.
Motto: Life’s a Bitch.

Photos & text: Roeselien Raimond

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