I encountered quite a few red foxes during my days in Hokkaido, but was surprised to see so many of them injured in various ways.
One Hokkaido red Fox (Vulpes vulpes ssp. schrencki) a damaged front leg and was limping. Many had a tail with sores and little hair due to mites. These hairless-tailed foxes strangely enough had normal skin and fur on the rest of their bodies. This one seems perfectly healthy, but take a look at the last image and you see what a dismal tail it has. Can only imagine the itch and the terrible frozen state it must be in.
The foxes on Notsuke Peninsula were clearly used to humans and some would come up close depending on the direction of the wind to sniff out possible treats. This one came in from the frozen lagoon, while others were roaming around the lagoon where people were ice fishing.
Last updated on 8 November 2024
