Cape Foxes

By Farrah Fox, as told to Hannah Schardt

Hey, fox fans. Want a peek inside my life as a mom to two cute, clever fox pups? Follow me on my InstagrAnimal feed!

Click image for a closer view.

FEEDING TIME!
Hi, fox followers! I’m Farrah, and I’m a Cape fox. I live in a dry, scrubby part of South Africa. (I don’t wear a cape, of course. Cape foxes are named after a place in South Africa called Cape Province.) My pups, Fiona and Ferris, are two months old. Aren’t they precious? They’re a lot of work, though. While I feed them, I also keep a sharp eye out for a jackal or an eagle that might want to snatch a little fox for dinner. #multitasking

Click image for a closer view.

MmmmWAH!
Fiona (shown here with me) and her brother need lots of loving care. Good thing my mate is such a big help. You don’t see him here because we take turns caring for the pups. Cape foxes mate for life. When the pups were very young, I stayed with them around the clock. My mate brought me all the food I needed so I could spend my time and energy nursing and snuggling my tiny pups. #thankshoney

WRESTLEMANIA
Settle down, you two! Fiona and Ferris may ACT big and fierce as they play-wrestle outside our underground den. But they’re still pretty helpless. So their dad and I keep a close eye on them whenever they’re out. At the first sign of a threat, we send them scurrying back to safety. #sotough #notreally

YAWN!
Look at that funny, foxy face! Sleepy Ferris just woke up from a long nap. Now he’s hanging out on top of the den, waiting for dinner. He won’t be waiting long—his dad is out hunting prey.

VIDEO: WATCH CAPE FOX KITS PLAY!

Click image for a closer view.

ONE FAST FOX
Now that our pups are four months old, we don’t need to watch them so closely. They’re always on the run, learning to hunt for themselves. At dawn and dusk, we all head out to look for food. That’s when the sun isn’t too hot—and mice are on the move and easy to catch. #fastfood #fasterferris

YUM! YUM!
That’s my little Fiona with a mouthful of rodent she caught all by herself! She’s not picky. Mice and other rodents are her favorites. But she’ll eat insects, reptiles, and even fruit. Speaking of mice—don’t you think we deserve a big thank-you from the farmers who live near us? After all, if we didn’t eat so many mice, those pests would be eating their crops! #yourewelcome

ZZZ
Fiona and Ferris are SO independent now. In a few months, they may even find mates of their own. (And by this time next year, I might be a grandma!) If I’m luck y, one of my pups will decide to stay with me instead and help raise next year’s litter. It would be great to have an extra set of paws around! Either way, the thought of more pups sounds exhausting. I think I deserve a nap!

  • More Animal Stories