Of all the animals that figure prominently in folklore and mythology the fox must be among the top ten. The mammal lives on every continent except Antarctica and ranks in numerous stories as being among the most clever and cunning of them all. In fact, in many stories the fox is portrayed as having a superior intelligence to outwit other creatures to get whatever it wants. Their place in worldwide mythology is broader than I ever realized, figuring prominently in Finnish, Greek, Korean, Japanese, Native American, and Russian folklore among numerous other countries.
The fox also figures prominently in Aesop’s Fables an ancient collection of stories that often feature animals or imaginary creatures to teach a lesson or moral to follow. “The Fox & The Crow” is one of these fables where the fox uses its wiles and charm to flatter the crow into dropping its delectable piece of cheese which the fox immediately gobbles up. The moral, of course is to be wary of those who use flattery to serve their own selfish ends. It had been many years since I had heard this story as I child but I always enjoy revisiting the past when something worthwhile can be gleaned from it. Fables (even those oriented towards children) can be appropriate and a life lesson for all ages.
It was shortly after watching Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom that I became more intrigued to read more about this fascinating animal and refresh my memory on things I’d read long ago. The Wild Kingdom episode “Tale Of The Fox” informed me of other interesting things I’d either long since forgotten or hadn’t heard of before. This episode is set in the woods of Wisconsin and follows a pair of two fox kits as they explore their habitat without the mother and have to fend for themselves. Curiously, although from the same litter, one is the typical red fox and the other is the more rare black fox making this an especially prized filming event. Watching these Wild Kingdom stories helps me appreciate the time, effort, and expense required to bring these amazing animals to the screen.
After all, most animals in the wild have a natural fear of humans. Setting up all the camera equipment to follow them without the animals being spooked off has to be a fine art somehow. In any case, the cameras follow the fox kits over what seems to be a fairly broad area. Among the antics they get involved with is when one of the foxes attempts to snag a duck for lunch! Apparently, foxes don’t fare well trying to catch prey in the water (something else I learned watching this). Agility on land becomes haplessness in the river for the fox, while ducks are obviously in their element and make a getaway!
Once again, water is the undoing of a fox trying to put the make on an otter. While they both enjoy romping with three raccoons for a brief time it goes to show that everything is wonderful…until it isn’t! The foxes wisely take their leave and move onto other misadventures. When both of the kits tease a garter snake even more hilarity ensues — but things get more serious and painful as one of the kits tangles with a porcupine and gets a face full of sharp quills. A painful lesson is learned and unlikely to be forgotten. Doubtless, fails like these are why foxes have an easier time raiding henhouses for a good meal. At least these are how the stories go!
