Red fox kits at Tommy Thompson Park.

Family bicycle ride last weekend to see the first fox den in 15 years at the Park! The TRCA staff keeping watch near the site told us they had originally seen 7 kits, but had last counted 5-6. We counted 3 while we were there.

A bittersweet family story. Mom was likely hunted by a coyote because the staff hadn’t seen her at all in weeks, so Dad was singlehandedly working hard to feed all these kits! Likely the adult fox we spotted at the Park a few weeks ago, looking utterly bedraggled. We were told that he is apparently quite a good hunter, bringing back a whole Canada goose at one point.

The kits seemed to be comfortable around human beings, walking up to the barrier created to give the fox family space, just chillin’, watching the humans watch them. One was half-dozing under the rock and we were told they would get more active at night.

In other news, the fox den on the Beach boardwalk is no longer there. TRCA staff told us that fox mom likely relocated her den after the attack that killed her two kits. Tough life but probably a good decision.