In the natural landscapes of North America, every animal has its own unique story. St. Charles, a dedicated nature and wildlife photographer, deeply cares for nature and its creatures. In the video "Humans and Foxes: Bonds and Bumps" in the Archive of Nature Series of the GPDN channel, he shares the story of how he rescued an injured wild fox cub from his own yard, and welcome to listen to this heartwarming man-fox story.

 

One June night, St. Charles and his wife stumbled upon a comatose but still breathing fox cub. They immediately moved the cub to a safe place, hoping it would wake up and its mother would return. However, the next morning, the cub was still lying there, alone. St. Charles carefully placed the cub in a box and took it home. 

 

Throughout the rescue process, St. Charles and his wife contacted veterinarians, the Department of Natural Resources, and animal rehabilitator. Upon hearing the fox was comatose, they all advised against further efforts. Undeterred, St. Charles clung to hope, painstakingly using a dropper to feed the cub water every 15 minutes to an hour, ensuring it stayed hydrated.

 

When the cub briefly woke up, St. Charles was ecstatic. He prepared meat broth and fed it small pieces of meat from his fingertips. To his amazement, the cub licked off the meat! St. Charles was thrilled by the rumbling sound from the cub's stomach, never imagining such a sound could be so delightful.

 

As the cub regained strength and could stand, St. Charles and his wife shared joyful times together. They went for walks, and St. Charles introduced the cub to various edible plants, observing its reactions. During raspberry season, the cub seemed to remember how to pick the berries, avoiding sharp thorns.

 

One afternoon, St. Charles and his wife sat outdoors with the cub. The cub touched St. Charles’s nose with its moist nose before turning and walking into the underbrush. Friends suggested St. Charles keep the cub as a pet, but he always hoped it would remain wild and free. The best outcome would be capturing the next generation of this fox on film, witnessing the continuation of its life.

 

Over the years, St. Charles occasionally spotted the fox around his garden. This year, he noticed an adult fox several times resting under a rock pile about 400 yards from where the cub was released. It seemed like an ideal fox den. St. Charles plans to monitor this spot closely next spring.

 

In nature, whether our actions are small or significant, we can always make a difference.