A Fox in the Garden

Our resident squirrels, Ginger and Van Hazel, and the 3 Bluejays were not happy campers last week.

An intruder invaded the garden in the shape of a young female fox.


Quickly dubbed Samantha, (UK readers should chuckle now!), she made a temporary home for herself under the shelter of our garden table which for winter has been taken off the lawn and placed on the bark-covered garden.

Van Hazel did make a daring run for a nut, but 5 minutes later, she discovered the sleeping fox, freaked out and disappeared!


For two days during the daylight hours, the fox hardly moved, except to stand up and turn around a couple of times, doglike, to sink back down into a more comfortable position. She pricked up her ears at our neighbour walking around his garden, but was largely unperturbed by any human noises or presence.


We knew that foxes lived in the nearby cemetery grounds, but it was the first time that one has slept in our yard! We can only surmise that the New Year’s fireworks, or possible maintenance around her usual hideaway, had forced her to seek other safer accommodation.


Life is back to normal now. Samantha has disappeared, leaving only a shallow hole moulded out of the bark, and the squirrels and birds have resumed collecting the nuts which we throw out for them!

Click this image for a short exciting video of a moving fox!