This spring is bringing plenty of the wonders of wildlife for one woman in the Calgary area.
Victoria Thiessen is having the time of her life being a real den mother.
Thiessen is caring for a family of foxes on her rural property just north of Calgary.
“Oh, they’re adorable to watch,” Thiessen said.
The foxes are living underneath an old coop in which the previous owners had kept racing pigeons.
Thiessen prepares and takes in daily meals for the foxes, part of her strategy for protecting the babies from coyotes.
“At this time, with the kits so vulnerable, I really don’t want mom to go too far hunting,” Thiessen said. “The coyotes know they’re here, they’re very, very smart. I’ve come home several times to see coyotes.”
Foxes have been denning at Thiessen’s place since she moved in 10 years ago, never with more than four babies at a time. But this spring, there are eight of them.
“It’s incredible,” Thiessen said.
She has also installed cameras around the coop as part of her efforts to protect the foxes.
“We just provide for them the best we can,” Thiessen said. “Hopefully the adults are protected and can raise their young in peace.”
The cameras are capturing all kinds of lively fox behaviour and Thiessen is posting some of the highlights online. Those videos are getting views all over the world.
“I think people realize that the foxes are something special,” Thiessen said. “They light up our lives like you have no idea.”
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