Over the past two years or so, my neighbors and I have noticed a fox on occasion. Usually the fox will come out near dusk or right before dawn. The fox would also normally leave if approached.

This year, the fox has been much more visible. He/she (not sure which) can be seen more often and throughout the day, as opposed to just near dusk.

For instance, my neighbor said the fox laid down on our lawn for about an hour in the middle of day. Also, he said that some people were walking by with their dogs. The fox stood up but didn't leave.

There has been sightings of a fox kit, although the kit wasn't with the fox yesterday.

We all have young children that play outside and are getting a little concerned.

Is it common for foxes to sun themselves during the day? I was under the impression that they were nocturnal. Could this fox have rabies? No one has seen an aggresive behavior or any signs of being sick (wobbling, disheveled coat, etc.) as far as I know.

One other piece of information that may or may not be related. At night, we have heard an odd sound that sounds somewhat like labored breathing but my wife thought it was a yelping dog (remember we are half asleep so what we hear can be a bit jarbled in our memory). Could we be hearing the kit calling for the vixen?

Also, since there is a kit. I suppose there could be two foxes. Each could have different behavior patterns...one that is bold that will come out in the day while the other is more skiddish.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I've heard about sightings of foxes at all hours of a day so it's not uncommon to see a fox during the day, enjoying the sun. The different behavior could be caused by someone feeding the fox so it has grown more bold.

Here's a link that has a list of different fox calls and what they mean:

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Also, foxes do not have rabies in some areas like the UK so location information could help determine a more sure answer.

Well, I'm no expert, but it doesn't sound like your fox has rabies. It may be a little bolder than one might expect, but not sick.

Also, foxes can be active night or day, I guess it depends on what is convenient for the fox in question. Foxes are adaptable that way. Sunning on the lawn for an hour or two? Sounds like a nice way to spend a lazy sunny afternoon.

Quote:

For instance, my neighbor said the fox laid down on our lawn for about an hour in the middle of day. Also, he said that some people were walking by with their dogs. The fox stood up but didn't leave.

Okay, so he was at the boundary of feeling uncomfortable. Any closer and the fox probably would have begun to retreat, at least for a while. But if you respect his personal space, then he has no reason not to respect yours.

Now, I, personally, would be thrilled to have such a neat little visitor, especially as often as you describe; the most common wildlife I see around here are the robins which nest under our backyard balcony. But I digress.

Now you are concerned about your children being in danger from the fox.

Please keep in mind, that healthy foxes are not normally agressive toward humans without a good reason. They don't just come up and attack people or kids out of the blue. As with most wild canids, they are fearful of humans (some more so than others); the usual fear response is to flee the situation, given of course that there is a viable escape route to do so. Really, I would consider a stray dog to be much more of a saftey concern to your children than any healthy fox.

I don't know how old the children in question are. Especially if we are talking like toddlers or really young children, probably best to keep them on the other side of the glass until the fox goes it's way. The fox certainly isn't going to try to eat them or anything, but if a curious child were to sneak up and say, give it's tail a tug, or try and pull it's fur or something, I wouldn't blame the poor fox if it was surprised enough to nip or bite.

If you are willing to tolerate the fox's presence, then it doesn't have to be a bad thing. You could take the opportunity to have your children watch the fox with you through a window, and while your at it, teach them how to respect thier local wildlife. And/or mabye even a few things about foxes. And if you don't know much, find some books on foxes, or search the internet; think of it as an educational opportunity, for you and the children. And if you are very patient and lucky enough to see them, baby foxes (called kits, or cubs, whichever you like) are very cute and fun to watch.

If you have such an opportunity to experience wildlife so close to your own home like that, then you are most privileged and blessed. Some say if you respect a fox, it will bring you good luck. Or rather, that's what I think. I am a firm believer in respecting and honoring the Lord's Creation, rather than simply fearing it like so many do.

I hope this adresses your concerns, if not, mabye I can try again. I apologise if I seem to be all over the place with this post, it's late at night for me and my thoughts are getting a bit...unorganized.

Althouh I can't claim by any means to be an expert, as I've said, I and the others here will try and answer your questions if we can.

Thanks for all your responses.

On rabies:

Yea, I did a little more research and am positive the fox(es) do not have rabies. The coat is in good order. No wobbling when walking. Clean.

On having them around:

I find it great. But my neighbors are nervous. They already tried to call the wildlife service to have the fox(es) removed but it went no where (thankfully). I am trying to get as much info as possible to try to convince them that there is nothing to worry about.

On the kids:

My kids are 4 and 6. The neighbors kids are 7. But there are other kids in the neighborhood as young as 2 or 3.

I also forgot to mention, foxes eat small mammals like gophers and rats as a big part of thier diet; it's like natural pest control! Yet another great reason to have them around.

If the fox is healthy, it shouldn't constitute a safety risk, so Wildlife Control probably won't have any reason to act.

I havent been able to find any records on the internet of (healthy) foxes injuring people. Something as small as a fox isn't dangerous, unless it has rabies, which it sounds like youv'e ruled out.

Foxes won't go near people, and the 4 and under kids need supervision at all times anyway. The 6 and 7 year olds are old enough to be taught the proper rules for behaving around wildlife. Heck, even the four-year old could learn them. Like I said before, it's a great educational opportunity.

I wouldn't worry at all really, i have never heard of any foxes attacking people. I'm sure as long as you leave them alone, they won't bother you. If you see them again, maybe you can get a picture or two for us