Rare black fox sighted for only fifth time ever in UK

LOOKING straight down the lens, this is the moment a black fox was caught on camera.

By John Ingham

 
PUBLISHED:  Fri, Sep 25, 2015

RobertFuller/BNPS

 

'It had a beautiful white tip to its tail just like that of a red fox'

Artist and photographer Robert Fuller was shocked when friend Robert Burns told him he had spotted one of the rarest animals in Britain outside his flat.
The sighting prompted the pair to embark on a three-month mission to study the fox and its habits.

 

The red fox is much more common in the UK. Getty Images

There have only been five confirmed sightings in Britain in as many years

Martin Hemmington, National Fox Welfare Society

And earlier this month Mr Fuller finally set up his professional photography equipment.
After a tense wait, the fox appeared shortly after 11pm to eat food left out by Mr Burns.
Black foxes get their unusual colouring from a rare genetic defect, and are practically unheard of in Britain.

Mr Fuller, 43, from Thixendale, North Yorks, filmed the fox in a nearby town but doesn’t want to name it.
He said: “I was expecting the fox to be dark, but this one was as black as a labrador, with just the hint of silver highlights along its body.

“It had a beautiful white tip to its tail, just like that of a red fox.
“After a short while it just melted into the night. I felt so privileged.”
Martin Hemmington, of the National Fox Welfare Society, said: “There have only been five confirmed sightings in Britain in as many years.”

 

Getty Images

 

Getty Images

Urban foxes are now so prevalent that they are considered pests in some areas.

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