Foxes sighted in Toronto

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There are quite a few people who claim that they have seen foxes in Toronto. However, careful questioning invariably leads to the conclusion that they are talking about suburbs, such as Richmond Hill, Mississauga and the like. But does that really mean that there are no foxes in Toronto? Of course not. We know that they are here, because we can sometimes see tracks, rests of meals, droppings, we just don't see the animals themselves. This time however, it was different. No vague tracks, no droppings, but the actual animals themselves.

I think that this is wonderful news, for it shows that High Park is not only a refuge for rare plants (the black oak savannahs come to mind) and the odd chipmunk, but also for larger mammals other than the ubiquitous raccoon. The presence of raccoons in High Park and the rest of the city is well-documented, the presence of foxes is not. The beauty of this sighting is that it clearly shows that foxes are not just passing through, but that they are actually living here, given the presence of three pups.

Needless to say that I thought “Sursum Corda” when I saw these. Because they stayed quite far from where I was, and because getting nearer was not an option, given my less than adequate fence-climbing abilities, I had to do my best to figure everything out at a distance. The group of foxes I saw, consisted of one female and three pups.

Bart B. Van Bockstaele Red fox in High Park, Toronto image:39823:6::0

Their behaviour was interesting to observe. The female decided to have a look around at the bison’s quarters, while one pup was intent on following her. Even though she seemed to be trying to dissuade it from doing so, it tried a few times, failed a few times, and eventually disappeared in the direction its mother has disappeared. Meanwhile, the two other pups were enjoying the sunshine, cuddling and playing together.

At one point, the mother came quite close to the fence where I was standing. Unfortunately, since none of the foxes was inclined to allow for a photo-op they are a bit blurred in the pictures.

I hesitated a bit to post this article, because I like to provide evidence, and the evidence isn’t as “nice” as I like. On the other hand, I think that the message is an important one and that the fact is more important than a beautiful picture. I was actually preparing to take pictures of the bison in High Park, when I suddenly saw something far more interesting: red foxes.

All in all, I see this as a fairly important event, since it clearly shows that there are actually foxes in Toronto, South of Bloor Street, even if it is High Park.

One more reason to love this city.