Photos: A Vixen and Her Pup

A fox is one animal you'd least expect to see in Pacifica when, in fact, foxes are well adapted to suburban life.

Pacifica resident Lincoln Allen, who lives on Manzanita Drive back in Sun Valley, experienced this firsthand when a female fox jumped up on his backyard fence five days ago and “looked right at me," he said, while he took photos of her.

With her were four pups. A baby fox can be called any of the following three: A kit. A cub. A pup. 

“The cubs were difficult to photograph since they tend to dart every which way playing,” said Allen.

The photos were taken just before sundown.

“It appeared that the foxes had just emerged from their den,” said Allen, “and were warming up for their night out.”

Allen says he discovered the other day that the foxes had also visited their kiddie pool during the night.

"They apparently chewed on some little plastic balls that we had in the pool," he said.

Have you seen foxes in your yard? Tell us about it in the comments.

Here’s some important information from the Humane Society of the United States about what to do about foxes in your yard:

Common problems and solutions

You may be surprised, and even frightened, to discover that foxes live in your neighborhood, but these fears are almost completely groundless.

Foxes aren’t dangerous to humans, except when they are rabid (which is very rare) or are captured and handled. Even then, it takes a lot of handling for a fox even to defend himself by biting. Quite the opposite: the fox’s natural tendency is to flee rather than fight.

Red foxes occasionally prey on small house cats or kittens and will take small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and poultry when they are left outside unprotected.

Both red and gray foxes will eat cultivated grapes, raspberries, and other fruit, but they usually don’t bother garden vegetables.

In all, foxes do such little damage and cause so few conflicts with people that we hesitate to characterize them as a problem at all. Nonetheless, thousands are killed every year because they are perceived as threats.

Do foxes eat pets?

People are frequently concerned about their pets being outdoors when foxes are around. The best way to avoid encounters between foxes and pets is to keep pets indoors, especially at night. If pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs are kept outside by day, they should be housed in structures that are secure from predators (birds and mammals).

By and large, foxes seem to pay little heed to adult cats, recognizing that they’re dealing with an animal often almost their same size, with a well-deserved reputation for self-defense. Smaller adult cats and kittens, however, could be easy prey for a fox. So may dog toy breeds.

The Bold Fox
Sometimes red foxes will exhibit a brazenness that is so overt it is disconcerting. A hiker along a woodland trail may encounter a fox who does not retreat but rather sits and watches the human approach. Likewise, a homeowner hanging laundry may watch a fox walk through the yard, going about her business, seemingly oblivious to the human nearby. Why this occurs is any human’s guess, and the foxes aren’t telling.

Tolerance

Sometimes foxes are blamed for damage they never caused.

For example, a trash can knocked over by the neighborhood dogs may attract a fox, who is then seen eating and then blamed.

Foxes may also cut through yards when moving from one hunting area to another, and a homeowner may become unreasonably concerned about their presence.

In fact, the fox is not a bother at all. If left alone, he will probably do most  homeowners a service by performing a little free rodent control as he passes by.

Exclusion

Poultry should be protected with secure hutches or pens built to withstand any effort by foxes, raccoons, or dogs to break in.

Because predators can dig under fences, it is important to make sure that an L-shaped footer is buried around the outer perimeter.

Fencing

Electric fences can also exclude foxes, but they work best in conjunction with other permanent perimeter fencing.  Place a single-strand electrified fence about four inches off the ground in front of a chain link or other fence.

Repellents

No repellents are registered expressly for use on foxes, although the many products sold to repel domestic dogs from yards and gardens undoubtedly will have a similar effect on a passing fox.

Scare devices

There are several scare devices that are both humane and effective at keeping these extremely sensitive animals out of areas where they are not wanted.

·       Noise-making devices, ranging from transistor radios to motion-sensitive alarms, work well when combined with  repelling and harassing strategies. 

·       A motion-activated sprinkler can be an effective deterrent in lawns or gardens. 

·       Using a loud voice or banging on a pot or pan can frighten foxes.

Harassment

Fox dens under porches and decks are one of the most commonly reported issues with these animals.

As with any wild animal who is denning or nesting in an inconvenient spot, we recommend you tolerate the family until the young are old enough to follow the parents on nightly forays and the family moves on.

When they are gone, exclude them from reusing the den.

Fox kits will spend time playing outside the den just before they are able to go out with their parents, making this one of the most enjoyable wildlife viewing experiences people can have.

Still, some people will want the family to move sooner rather than later. In these cases, mild harassment may make the parents uncomfortable and encourage them to move their litter to a more secure location:

·       Start by placing objects, leaves, soil, or mulch in the den openings to disturb the residents.

·       Used kitty litter or almost anything with a strong human scent will also alarm the foxes. (Try a sweat-soaked T-shirt after a good jog.)

·       People claim success in getting fox families to move simply by mounting Mylar® balloons two to three feet off the ground, just outside the entrance to the den.

Note: After you think the foxes have moved, make sure all the kits are out of the den before permanently excluding them.

Remove sources of food

Food lures foxes so to reduce the likelihood of their visiting your yard be sure to...

·       Never compost meat scraps.

·       Store trash  securely or place it outside only on the morning of collection.

·       Don’t leave pet food outside.

·       Never deliberately feed wild animals such as foxes.

·       Keep area under birdfeeders free of spilled seed.

Is that fox rabid?

It’s not all that unusual to see a fox out during the day. Foxes prey on squirrels and birds, who are only active during the day. So if you see a fox out during the day, he’s as apt to be looking for a meal as sick and disoriented.  Take time to observe the behavior of the fox before calling for assistance. Look for:

·       Partial paralysis of limbs.

·       Circling.

·       Staggering as if drunk or disoriented.

·       Self-mutilation.

·       Signs of unprovoked aggression.

·       Acting unnaturally tame.

Don’t approach the fox yourself. Call your local animal control officer, wildlife rehabilitator, health or police department, if you see an adult fox showing any of these signs.