Beauty and Beast is a series that explores the delicate dance between the wild’s radiant beauty and the beast of human influence, inviting us to confront what we risk losing—and what we still have the power to protect.
CHAPTER 1 FOX
Springtime brings new life across the globe, and on the San Juan Islands, it’s the season for fox kits. These tiny bundles of fur emerge from their dens, drawing photographers and wildlife enthusiasts— eager to capture a glimpse of their first wobbly steps. While the sight is undeniably captivating, it’s vital to remember the principles of responsible wildlife viewing: keep a respectful distance, never feed the animals, clean up after yourself, and keep noise to a minimum. By doing so, we ensure these young foxes can grow and explore safely in their natural world.
Last season, a litter of kits was born along a trail frequented by hikers and photographers. Unfortunately, some uneducated—or simply unethical—photographers resorted to baiting the foxes with food, making noises, or offering toys to get the perfect shot. These disturbances forced the mother fox to move her den, placing it alarmingly close to a busy road—a road where, the previous year, nearly every kit born nearby had met a tragic end. This year, she nested in almost the same location, and heartbreakingly, she was struck and killed by a car, leaving her litter of orphaned kits to struggle for survival on their own.
Here a woman is standing nearly in the foxes den, focused on capturing content, while the mother is driven to nurse her kits in the middle of the road. Her mate stands tensely on the trail, watching as the scene unfolds.
Feeding wild animals like foxes may seem like a kind gesture, but it can have unintended and detrimental consequences. When humans provide food to foxes, they inadvertently train them to associate people with food and cars/roads with people. This can lead to dangerous situations, where foxes become overly comfortable in urban environments and are at higher risk of being hit by cars.
Despite good intentions, feeding wild animals is ultimately a selfish act that can endanger their lives. Foxes are wild animals with natural hunting instincts, and intervening in this balance by providing them with easy food disrupts the delicate ecosystem. As a result, their hunting behavior diminishes, leading to overpopulation of their prey and a lack of essential nutrients needed to thrive and live a healthy life.
To ensure the health and survival of foxes (and other wildlife), it’s crucial to refrain from feeding them and allow them to rely on their natural instincts to flourish.
