Back in May, Shawn Davis – living in Illinois, USA – noticed the unusual sight of a pair of young foxes near his patio. “We first noticed 2 kits had visited one morning in the end of May and were playing on our patio set,” he told Bored Panda in a conversation. Soon enough, the foxes made themselves right at home and became regular visitors in Shawn’s backyard.
As soon as the little front runners found out that the backyard was a safe and fun place to hang out, they invited the rest of their fox family who didn’t waste any time to share in the fun and joy.
“After that first day, we started mainly seeing the mom and five kits. The dad came by a few times, but I think he job was to mainly provide food while they were learning to hunt,” Shawn said.
The adorable family of foxes consists of a mom, dad, and their five cute offspring. Almost every day, the seven forest inhabitants would come to relax, unwind, and play. “Even though our backyard is in the middle of a residential neighborhood, it is very private with a fence and a lot of trees and bushes. I think they felt very safe, as they would often sleep under the trees in the daytime, and then play at dawn and dusk.”
Shawn and his family were just as excited about the visits of the foxes as probably the foxes themselves. “With the pandemic going on and us spending so much time at home, it was great entertainment for my wife, daughter, and I to be able to watch them grow up and play!”
“We didn’t realize they were so playful and that was fun to see,” he added. “Aside from sleeping in the day time, they would chase each other and would all play fight and grab each other’s tails. They also liked to gang up on the mom, who wasn’t afraid to dole out some moves of her own. We put a trampoline out at one point, and they liked to pounce on each other.”
As the baby foxes are growing up to be more and more independent with each day, their visits have become less frequent. But Shawn is hopeful for the family to return next year.
“We only see one or two every so often now as they have grown up, and I assume moved out of the den. Our neighbors said they have seen foxes in other summers but never as many as this year. Hopefully, the kits will remember our yard as a fun and safe place, and will come back next year with their families!” Shawn said, sharing his wish with Bored Panda.
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