Final Self-Reflection

The entirety of this project gave me a phenomenal opportunity to learn more about an animal that holds a special place in my heart.  It gave me a reason to delve deeper into the ideas of what a red fox was in its wholeness.  I was able to learn more about the history of the animal, such as the mythology, art and film.  I've been meaning to see "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" for years, and I was finally made to watch it.  It also gave me a chance to try and understand other views than the one that I already had.  I had to imagine what an animal rights activist would think about the animal and the issue of fur farming, as well as from the side where fur is not a bad thing, but rather a status symbol.  I think it has been the most interesting and enjoyable project I have had to do in my four years in college.

ANSC 305: The Human Animal Bond was a no brainer when I was choosing classes for my last semester at college.  I was able to learn more about companion animals, which was hard to come by in a college more dedicated to agricultural animals and preparing people to be vets.  I got to see informative documentaries, learn subjects I have not considered before, and got to consider the ideas and thoughts of other people.  I reminded me that I need to value the opinions of those who are not myself, and to also keep myself open to additional values.  I think that this class has made me a more open, conscientious human being, and for that I am happy.

Moral Vision Statement

This moral vision statement is about what I personally believe how humans should view the other animals of the world.  This isn't just about the red fox, like the rest of this blog, but rather all animals in general.  I hope that I've brought across my love for animals in the world.  They have an intrinsic right to be a part of this world and to have a life that isn't destroyed by the workings of human beings.  I feel as though there is a growing opinion that matches similar to mine, in that non-human animals should be respected and appreciated for what they are.  Animals are not humans, even if we want to give them emotions they may not be able to comprehend and express.  That does not mean that animals should be free of humanity and its workings.  I can't imagine there being a world where we do not have pets, food animals, or research animals, because they all serve important and valuable roles in the working of the world.  This is not an excuse to have non-human animals be treated in an abusive, or morally shady way.  A high quality of life should be able to be given to as many animals (and that includes humans) as possible, or else I feel that the world is not working as should be.  I want to see humans able to control the growing population, or methods to be developed that will stop the need for the destruction of habitat, since animals have the right to live in their habitats.  I don't want the world to end up where the only place to see animals that aren't pets is by going to a zoo.  The only way for this to happen however, if for people to make concessions with how they want the world to be shaped.  That is something that I personally think is worthwhile, because nature is what makes humanity special.

Compromise with fur farming

There is no way that all fur companies and fur farms will be shut down.  Companies aren't going to be seeing anti-fur movements go away either.  There are three areas in how the animals are treated that can be discussed to create a potential compromise that will make both sides relatively happy.

1. Animals in Cages
If you look online and search for fur farms you will see a lot grotesque pictures of animals stuck in cages too small for the animals in them.  Another thing that might be noticed is how they are living elevated off the ground, standing on chicken wire.  It's been seen that animals that only have wire to stand for their lives will have damaged paws, and possibly undersides, which can lead to extreme discomfort and infections.  These animals are not given any stimulation either, which does not allow the animals to try and relieve stress, or burn off energy.  This can lead to stereotypys, which are off behaviors that offer no real value to an animal, but are done when normal behaviors cannot be performed.  Even worse, it has been seen that foxes can self-mutilate themselves, or if housed together, might even cannibalize each other.  These practices might not be seen in every farm, but it is definitely the standard in many places.  A compromise that could be brought in to this situation would be making the cages more comfortable and stimulating for the animals.  Along with that, allowing for exercise in controlled locations would allow for the reduction of potentially harmful behaviors. Producers can then place labels on their products showing that the animals are raised with a higher quality of life that will make consumers more likely to purchase their products.

2. The Number of Animals for Fur
While I could not find an exact number on how many fox pelts are harvested each year, about 50 million furs are made each year.  This number does not include rabbits, who are very hard to estimate, due to their high numbers and quick reproduction.  With the decrease in want to furs in the United States, as well as in Canada and European nations, it does not make economic sense for there to be so many animals in these farms.  If there can be a reduction in numbers, then there will be less costs for both producers and companies, and less animals means that animal welfare and rights groups are seeing a decline in the number of animals being used for this purpose.
3. Age/Quality of Life
Most foxes that are raised in farms will only live for about 6-9 months before they are harvested for the pelts.
As I brought up in my earlier post about background information, a normal wild fox will live for about 5 years.  These foxes are not living a long life, and when that is added to the lifestyle that the animals have from the first section in this post, it adds up to pretty low quality of life.  I think that if suggestions from the first section would improve the quality of like in the foxes.  And if there is a lower demand for fur, then less animals have to be killed for pelts, and the remaining foxes could potentially have longer lives before they are harvested.
Sources:
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/12/384290.shtml
http://www.gan.ca/campaigns/fur+trade/factsheets/fur+factory+farming.en.html
http://www.lcanimal.org/index.php/campaigns/fur/fur-trade-facts
http://www.worldanimalfoundation.net/f/RanchRaisedFur.pdf
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/11/25/article-2513288-19A20D3800000578-587_634x381.jpg

Writing a letter to a group against fur farming.

Dear International Anti-Fur Coalition, 

When I go onto your website, I can see how you're working hard to eliminate the use of fur and pelts in the world, which is a noble goal.  Going through your website I see how your group has set plans and actions to go about making your goals a reality in a smart, well paced way.  You aren't over reaching and are taking it your aspirations regions by region.  It's great to be able to go through your website and see how there are facts and hopefulness on your site to get people excited about the idea that this is a goal that is attainable to some effort and not a pipe dream.  

I agree with you that fur farming needs to be abolished in the world, and I really love you approach to this issue.  Using positives more than negatives is something that will continue to have people rally behind your group, and letting the populace know that.

There is not anything that I feel that  needs to be changed with your campaign other than there needs to be a larger focus on laws and on larger media outlets.  There is not that large of an effect from pamphlets and the like.  I also think that while you are trying to keep logic over the emotional tinges, I still see a lot of emotional statements in your website, that can put people off.  There can be a sense of there being manipulation through feelings, and not on facts, which can make people label a group as not serious or impactful.  I feel that beyond that, there is not much that needs to be changed.  You aren't overbearing and malicious to companies, but rather trying to change their ideas and practices in fur farming.  

Sincerely, 
A hopeful human

Sourecs:
http://www.antifurcoalition.org/

Writing a letter to a pro fur company

 Dear Kaufman Furs, 

It is well known that you are one of the largest fut outlets in the United States, and have a large amount of heft in the fur clothing industry.  I am writing you about a topic that I am sure you already hear plenty of from much more vocal groups.  Obviously, it is the idea of you using animal furs for your clothing.  

Using fur in recent years has been in decline as people are becoming more conscious about the products that they are going to buy.  Many Americans and Europeans are aware of the acts the groups like PETA do to people who use fur (i.e. tossing blood on them), which I do not personally condone, but it is a marker of how public opinion are shifting.  People are beginning to think that the use of furs are not necessary, because of all of the faux options out there, as well as the many different coats and jackets that are not in the grain of fur that are still high end.  

This is an industry, that if you want to be able to continue to stay open, need to make strives to convince the public that there is more to your company than being expensive animal pelts turned into clothing.  The thought that animals are being raised and killed just so that their skins can be taken to be used for the rich and famous is a ridiculous premise.  There is no really value for the animals in this trade, only to certain people who can afford the expense of these pieces of clothing.

Feelings probably will not improve for your company, or any other fur clothing store for a long time, if ever, but if you want to try and put public mind at ease, I think that it would be wise to try and educate people on where your animals come from.  And what I mean by that is that you should try and make it so that furs are from animals that are humanely killed before their pelts are taken, and that the animals have a high quality of life before they are farmed.  This would interest you, because it is known that animals that are not stressed and are well taken care of will have a higher quality pelt as well.  If there were some kind of fundraiser for animals as well, people may consider you above the curve on the other fur companies, and showing the public that your company is more conscientious than others.

Sincerely,
A concerned human being

Sources:
http://www.kaufmanfurs.com/

A Controversial Topic...

I've brought up a few times previously how foxes are kept in farms and bred for the production of fur to be used for coats.  To me, fur seems like a pointless status symbol that is not necessary in this day and age, since fur is only readily available in modern, developed nations.



Many of us have seen or heard of PETA throwing animal blood and paint on those wearing fur, which completely misses the point and puts all of the attention on the group instead of the issue.  There has been a trend of fur production declining, with many feeling that it is unneeded and superfluous.  In fact, the U.K. outlawed fur farms in the nation, however it was outsourced to Scandinavia.  There are plenty of videos online of incredibly graphic mistreatment of fur animals (foxes, minks, etc), along with the small wire cages, and lack of exercise.  This is especially true in nations that are developing, such as Asiatic nations, which have next to no regulations for the animals.  These are actually akin to puppy mills, as well.  While I'm not saying that every fur farm is like this (in fact, I would say the extreme minority are), these are the ones that go viral and sway public opinion.

For a view of the other side of the coin, the industry offers videos and webpages saying how the farms treat the animals humanely (including their deaths), and how the trade is economical, and green (they recycle animal products as food for the fur animals).  The page furisgreen (listed below) also mentions how Canada has a recommended code on handling the welfare of fur animals, but the problem with that is that it's recommended.  The laws for taking care of these animals are not very strong, and it's worrisome to think of how foxes and rabbits and minks can be treated poorly.

Obviously this is strongly opinionated, and people are of course entitled to their opinions, but this is an issue that, if nothing else, needs to be looked at in depth with practice and law changes to make sure that humane practices are put into effect.

Sources:

http://www.gan.ca/campaigns/fur+trade/factsheets/trapping+and+the+environment.en.html
http://www.lcanimal.org/index.php/campaigns/fur/fur-trade-facts
http://www.furisgreen.com/animalwelfare.aspx
http://www.billsbearrugs.com/Fox%20Coyote%20Lynx/foxpelts02.jpg

Foxes in Film

Animals in film is not a novel idea for many of us.  Most of us have seen Disney movies featuring animals as supporting characters, or even as the stars.  Foxes are often seen in children's movies, but they also make appearances in some more grown-up films as well.

One of my favorite Disney movies growing up was "The Fox and the Hound", which is about a fox kit being brought up by a human after its mother is killed by a hunter.  As the fox, Tod, grows up, he befriends a young dog, Copper.  However, Copper's owner is a hunter, and wants to hunt Tod, leading to a strained relationship between Tod and Copper as they grow up. The message of the movie is that where someone comes from should not interfere with who they become friends with/where they go/etc.  A fox is used here because they are common hunted animals, and with Copper being a hunting dog, makes for a strong dichotomy for the issue.

Here's a clip of a song in the movie that is about how it's funny that a fox and a hound would be playing together and forming a friendship, letting the audience know that it's a novel idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CMejecRpWI

A more adult movie that features ffoxes would be "The Fantastic Mr. Fox", which came out in 2009.  The story focuses on a group of animals that live on farmer land and take food in order to survive.  The farmers plot together to destroy the home of the animals and get rid of them, but the group, led by Mr. Fox, fight back.  While it's still marketed towards children, there are much more noticeable nods towards adults in this movie, and it had a more grown-up tone to it.  The message of the movie is that animals have homes too, and destroying the homes can have lasting impacts on them.  The fox is seen in this movie as a cunning, clever animal that can solve problems that might normally seem insurmountable for an animal.


http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2620588569/

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxes_in_popular_culture

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082406/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432283/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Mythology and Foxes

There are myths from all over the world featuring foxes that portray the animal in different lights and has led to public opinions on the fox based more on the supernatural than the natural.

One set of myths, which was already touched upon in the art blog, is the fox in Asian culture, particularly Japan, China, and Korea.  Kitsune, which translates to fox, are seen as magical creatures, that can change their forms, and are portrayed as tricksters, guardians, evil, and benevolent.  They were, and still are, thought to be messengers of the gods, and are treated mostly with respect.  The fox god of Japan is Inari, who is also god of entertainers, blacksmiths and rice cultivation.  She uses foxes as messengers and can be seen as both benevolent and anger.


By: Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Native American's have many legends with foxes.  Many of the tribes having different stories leads to many different thoughts on the fox.  However, a common theme is that they are seen as wise, smart, and tricky, as told in the Iroquois myth The Hungry Fox and the Boastful Suitor.  This story is about a man with food who doesn't feed the hungry fox, so the fox tricks him into losing his food by singing.

Sources:

http://www.coyotes.org/kitsune/kitsune.html  (Just a list of some myths from multiple cultures)

http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/lore26.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/284487/Inari
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsune

The Red Fox in Folklore and Literature

Near every kind of animal has been featured in stories, whether through folklore or literature, and the red fox is not exempt from this.  The common theme of foxes in these tales is that they are represented as intelligent and cunning.

For example, in the very old Aesop's Fables, a compilation of stories that feature animals with human characteristics and teaches morality, emotions, and behavior.  In over the 600 stories in the Fables, the fox is a main character in 51 of them.  One of the stories is The Fox and the Crow, where a fox tricks a crow with food to drop it due to flattery.  These story shows how the fox takes a side route to reach its goals, rather than confront an issue head on, and uses trickery, cleverness, and deceit to attain its goals.  This idea of foxes is prevalent in most of the fables with foxes, and is probably the influence for the thought that foxes are smart and cunning.

George Flyer Townsend
1867

In Europe, there was a fox character named Reynard (various names over different countries) who was often portrayed as a Robin Hood type antihero in a world of animals.  The stories start in the mid 1100's and go through to the present, although they are not very frequent anymore.  These stories are often satire of the country that the story is created in.  Originally, they were written in England and were reference to the clergy and noblemen who ran the country (featured as other animals), and the commoners' day to day lives and struggles.  Reynard has left a strong impact on literature, as seen by the character lasting for near a millenia, and his impact can be seen in more recent years in the Disney movie "Robin Hood", books, such as The Magician King, and even in music.

By: Michael Rodenge
1869

Sources:
http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html#film
http://www.taleswithmorals.com/aesop-fable-the-fox-and-the-crow.htm
http://mythfolklore.net/aesopica/townsend/95.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynard

Foxes in Art

Since the cave paintings of many thousands of years ago, there have been animals depicted in art.  The same goes for Vulpes vujlpes, though not for quite that long.

Most art captures how the fox was viewed at that particular time in history.  As brought up before, foxes were often hunted for sport in different places in Europe for centuries, and have only recently been made illegal.  The act of the fox hunt was viewed as a nobleman activity, and had a large amount of art created for it, such as this example.

By Henry Thomas Alken
Early 1800's

While the fox was viewed as a hunting item in Europe, in Asia, particularly Japan, they were viewed as spirits, either capable of good or evil.  Foxes, or kitsunes, were known to be able to change into humans, normally females to trick humans.

By: Yoshitoshi
1886

In recent times, foxes have taken on many different roles in art, and can be seen everywhere in art, and in different forms.  These pieces featuring foxes can be done to look realistic, bringing the viewer closer to nature, they can be seen heavily anthropomorphized, and even talking in comics, or there are recreations of styles done in earlier times, like Japanese.
Here are a few examples, but look through the internet and you will see the immense multitude of modern art featuring foxes.

Paul Krapf


Steven Womack


SilentReaper @ Deviantart


Sources:
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/hunting-scene-henry-thomas-alken.html
http://www.theartofjapan.com/ArtDetail.asp?Inv=1006922
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/young-red-paul-krapf.html
http://society6.com/product/Fox_Print#1=45
http://silentreaper.deviantart.com/

Speciesism

Speciesism is the assignment of different values, rights, or special consideration to individuals based solely on their species.

One way that foxes are treated differently than other animals is those specific animals that are treated as companions for humans.  These specific foxes might be allowed into a home, and be handled by humans.  Wild foxes rarely get handled, let alone get close enough to be in range of humans.  It can be argued that foxes can be held in higher esteem in comparison to other wildlife animals, because they have been seen as pets.

However, they are not as close to normal household pets as the dog may be, because they are still farmed for their fur, which is reserved to a few different species, such as the mink and rabbit.  People wouldn't think of making a dog fur coat, for example.  

Still in other instances, they are still viewed simply as pests, as they have for centuries.

The jury is still out on what exactly a fox is to people, and has a wide range of opinions and thoughts, making it very hard to lock down on answer.  As time continues on there might be a radical shift as domesticated foxes become more prevalent in the United States and elsewhere.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speciesism

http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html#humans

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/directory_show.cfm?species=redfox
http://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/speciesism-111001144845-phpapp01-thumbnail-4.jpg?cb=1317498589

Ethology

Ethology is the study of behaviors, normally animals, in their natural environments. This would include the study of emotions and intelligence observed in the animals.  This can be difficult to deduce, as we cannot ask most animals what is going on in their heads and get a response, so we have to do our best to observe and stay as unbiased as possible.

With emotions, there is a division between primary and secondary emotions.  Primary ones would be emotions that don't require thought to ascertain.  They would include fear, happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, excitement, and anger.  These primary feeling are what all other feelings come from.  Secondary emotions are ones that require reflection or thought to understand, and can include love, embarrassment, guild, jealousy and more.  Secondary emotions are believed to require memory, and generally lead to better decision making abilities in the future.

Foxes, like most mammals, have primary emotions that are easy to see.  Like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO_KOB-gUps

Most of us have hear the phrase clever as a fox, and it has been seen that they have an innate knack for solving problems, such as this clever hunting adaptation:
http://www.livescience.com/12436-wily-fox-clever-hunting-tricks.html   

Intelligence is a vague thing to talk about, as there are different types of intelligence.  The red fox is adaptable, as seen in it residing in a multitude of different habitats and clever by being able to break in to cages to receive prizes.  Recently, with the domestication, they have been able  to read cues better from humans.  Before only dogs were known to be able to understand when a human was pointing that they should follow the finger, but the domesticated fox is able to comprehend the concept as well.  So in certain instances Vulpes vulpes is quite an intelligent animal.

By: Kieran Meehan

Sources:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethology
http://changingminds.org/explanations/emotions/primary_secondary.htm
http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/f/fox_hunting.asp

Current Social Perceptions

The perceptions of an animal can differ between continents, countries, states, or professions.  Each person is  going to have a separate opinion on something, and that is the same case for animals.  The personal image of any animal can often be influenced by outside sources as well, especially for the animals that people normally won't be able to seen on a frequent basis.

Some of the positive ways that they are viewed could be seeing them in nature allows people a happiness in an intrinsic sense.  With domestication of foxes becoming more prevalent, some people are now keeping them as pets, which give a feeling of companionship similar to people with cats and dogs.  People who raise foxes for fur see them as a source of revenue, which would be positive for the worker of a fur farm.



Here's a really current look at how some people see the fox: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE

Negative views often come from people who deal with raising animals, in particular, poultry, as foxes have been known to go to a farm and kill hens for food.  Another negative view can be that foxes, like many woodland creature have the ability to be a vector (carrier) for diseases such as rabies.  In Australia foxes are considered a threat to native species of rodents, which the foxes hunt, and is a large concern for these species as numbers continue to decline.

Sources:
http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/fox-red-/122
http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html#humans
http://eol.org/pages/328609/details
http://www.issg.org/pdf/publications/Island_Invasives/pdfHQprint/4Parkes.pdf
http://www.insightofanintern.com/2012/11/06/nablopomo-5-in-defence-of-the-red-fox/

Social History and Domestication

As stated earlier, foxes have a distinct history of being wildlife, exotic as well as domesticated.  Because of this they have a rich background with humans.

For thousands of years, foxes have been hunted for multiple reasons, such as fur, meat, and more recently, sport.  The sport of fox hunting was incredibly popular with the English from the 16th century all the way to 2005, when it was deemed illegal.  Though it is best known for taking place in Great Britain, fox hunting happened throughout Europe, North America, and Australia.  The hunts used hounds to track down the fox when it would be killed.

In more recent years (1800's) fur farming has been a part of the history between foxes and humans.  The fur trade was very large for well over 100 years and was very lucrative.  Keeping the foxes in cages and breeding them for fur changed them from their wild counterparts as well.  Almost a psudeo-domestication effort as the animals became easier to tame, and more calm in the presence of humans.  In the last few years animals welfare and rights have become a very powerful force in animal industries, changing public perception of animal products.  With these groups, opinion on fur has changed from a status symbol to something to be scorned.  Fur farms are still present in the world, but in decreased numbers.

While the fur industry was a stepping off point for domestication of the red fox, real experiments have been taking place in Russia.  The experiment started in 1959 and is still going on to this day.  The goal was to study the domestication process and the silver fox (a subspecies of the red fox and still Vulpes vulpes) was chosen due to it being genetically similar to the wolf, the animal that dogs come from.  The process began by looking to the foxes that were most tame and breeding them together.  This was repeated each generation, while being careful to avoid inbreeding, since.  The results have been that the foxes used for breeding are excited to see and interact with humans, in many ways like a dog, showing that domestication process happens by looking for the most tame animals.  There were side effects of looking for the  most tame animals lead to changes in the phenotype of the foxes, which would keep floppy ears longer than wild ones, would have curly tails, and smaller skulls.


http://alligator-sunglasses.com/post/15127294524/just-a-pet-fox

Sources:
http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/fox-red-/122
http://usfoxshipperscouncil.org/201204history-of-fox-farming-2
http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/1999/2/early-canid-domestication-the-farm-fox-experiment/1

Background Information

Before I go farther into the social deconstruction of the Red Fox, I figure that it would be useful to give some background information on the animal.

The Red fox is a mammal fairly closely related to the wolf, jackals, and other fox breeds.  The red fox came about roughly 2.5 million years ago from the Eurasian Red Fox.  The species came about in Europe and passed through the Eurasian landmass and made its way to North America via the Bering ice bridge. 

The red fox is a short animal with a long body.  On average, they are about 14-20 inches tall at shoulder, while their body is anywhere from 18-35 inches long, with the tail being another 13-21 inches.  The normal Red fox is an orange color over most of its body with a white underbelly and neck and will have black stockings on their feet.  However it should be pointed out that each subspecies is going to have different sizes, fur colors and appearances.  They live for about 5 years on average in the wild.

Vulpes vulpes have a great diversity of subspecies, such as the Silver fox, commonly found in Russia, European Fox, and Arabian fox,  though there are many more.  Foxes also come in different morphs, or fur colors, which can be seen on the Wikipedia page listed below.  Their coat will aslo change with the passing of the seasons to help keep themselves safe.

Red foxes are hardy animals that can survive in many different environments.  They can be anywhere from the arctic to a desert, woodland and prairie.  They have been found as high up as 4500 feet above sea level as well.  They are actually the most widespread candid in the world.  

Diet wise, Red foxes are omnivores, which means that they can eat both meat and vegetation and have a wide diet which includes rodents, roots, berries, birds, reptile, fruits, insects, etc.  They are fairly solitary creature and hunt by themselves.

Foxes have a breeding season during winter, from about November through February.  Baby foxes, called kits, are born about two months later to an average of four to six per season.

Sources:

http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html#evolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_fox#Description

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Vulpes_vulpes/

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/redfox.htm
http://waitanotherday.com/2010/04/22/vulpes-vulpes/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Vulpes_vulpes_colour_variations.jpg

Species Identification

The species that I have decided to use for this project- The Social Deconstruction- is the Red Fox, or Vulpes vulpes.  The red fox is an interesting animal because it doesn't fit into a certain role, such as wild animal, domesticated, or exotic.  I would say that it fits into each category.  It is a wild animal because they exist in the forests over most of North America.  However, it doesn't hold itself only to North America, but over most of the globe, especially the northern hemisphere as well as Australia, as seem in this picture...

http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html

Since 1959 there has been an ongoing experiment on domestication in Russia where researchers have been studying how domestication has happened using the Silver Fox, which is a subspecies of the red fox.  In the years since, they have successfully made the silver fox into an animal that not only tolerates being around humans, but can be excited to be with them, and are looking to be a new pet for people who might want one.

The fox is an animal that fits into a lot of different categories and has some amazing history behind it.


Taken by: David Element

Sources:
http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/red_fox.html
http://www.david.element.ukgateway.net/mammals10redfoxes6.htm