Fox families in Chestermere are at risk after increased human interest

The interest and attention humans are showing towards wildlife this year are putting the fox families in the South East Rocky View County area at risk.

There are roughly two dozen foxes in three dens in the Chestermere area.

“They try to find the best place to raise their families, just like we as humans do,” said photographer Sharon Rhodes.

A fox family will occasionally pick a den under a doorstep, or on the side of a hill that is very public.

“The fox families in Chestermere are at risk after gaining the interest of residents, and wildlife photographers, Rhodes said.

While local photographer Laurie Rutter said she understands people’s desire to photograph the fox families, she has noticed people getting as close as they possibly can, which interferes with the activity of the den.

“We love to watch them, but the only way to do it is if you’re back a bit, then they act in their normal way,” Rutter said.

If photographers are interfering with the den, the foxes will act differently, she added.

They begin looking for another den location; the parents don’t feed their young regularly, they don’t interact with their young or teach the young how to hunt and how to be a fox.

“If there is always a human there, they won’t come out, it interrupts their life,” Rutter said.

Getting in the animals’ space is not the only concern. . Some photographers will bait animals, which causes dependence for humans to feed them.

“Wildlife that is frequently fed by humans don’t teach their young ‘how to fox”, or how to hunt. It’s critical that wildlife learns how to fend for themselves, as it should be in nature,” Rhodes said.

Although the foxes generally hunt rodents, some residents are concerned about the safety of their small animals.

“Typically, a housecat will outweigh a fox,” said Photographer Jon Harnish.

He added, there are much more significant threats than a fox, with bald eagles, and great-horned owls flying around Chestermere, along with an increase of coyote activity.

“The risk is there, but the risk is all around if you’re allowing your animals to become wilder than domesticated,” Harnish said.

The foxes are expected to be in Chestermere for another couple of weeks, as they transition dens two to four times each season.

“If you have foxes in your area, they are going to leave, be patient,” Rhodes said.

If humans allow for the foxes to stay on their property until they grow up, they do the animals a considerable service by allowing them to raise their family in a non-threatening environment, much like what Harnish is doing, Rhodes added.

Harnish has lived on an acreage outside of Chestermere for five years. However, this year he was adopted by a fox family.

After getting a quick glimpse of the mother earlier this season, Harnish put a trail camera out beside a hill where he expected the fox family lived.

Throughout the duration of two weeks, Harnish found out how many babies there were, what times the mother and father would leave the den to hunt, and how the family reacted after he went to get the memory card.

“As long as I went, got the card and left it was business as usual,” Harnish said.

He added, “It got to the point where I had to remove the camera because it became a toy for them.

“It was the cutest thing you’ll ever see. There were little noses, and whiskers bumping it.”

Living in Chestermere is rewarding for Harnish, as he can watch and photograph the foxes from a distance.

Having fox families live in Chestermere is an opportunity, that everyone can share if everyone shares the space with the foxes, Harnish said.

“It’s a lifelong memory for many residents. So many people like them, and adore them, it’s a cool thing that Chestermere has,” he said.

Although the foxes are at risk because of encroachment, there have been many residents in Chestermere who have allowed the foxes to stay on their property.

“We have amazing residents who are very supportive of these little guys,” Rhodes said.

If anyone has a fox living on their property and are interested in having photographs taken from a distance, please contact Sharon Rhodes, Laurie Rutter, or John Harnish.