May 2021 • Nebraskaland 49
decades and the foxes that are born in
town are very used to seeing people,
cars and dogs. Because it is all they
have ever known, they are not nearly
as wary of people as rural foxes
that have been hunted. They can be
territorial with dogs during the pup
rearing season in the spring and early
summer. One example is an escorting
behavior where they may bark at your
dog while you are on a walk, and then
follow you from a distance until you
are no longer near their den or pups.
Basically, they want to make sure they
know where your dog is until it is safely
away from their pups. They will also
wait until you pass by on the sidewalk
and then walk behind you a few dozen
yards, not being territorial, just trying
to get where they are going.
While the foxes have been a delight
for my family, there are some downsides
beyond the screaming during mating
season. I do have to put a few squirrel
tails in the trash each year. Foxes can
dig under sheds or porches in areas
where they are not welcome and
damage property. In most cases, they
can be fenced out or convinced to move
to another den with a motion alarm or
battery powered radio. Foxes are not
typically dangerous to people given
their slight build and small size. Like
all wildlife, people should not approach
them. Foxes can kill small pets like
kittens, cats, chickens and tiny dogs,
but common sense approaches, such
as keeping cats indoors and dogs on
leashes, prevents the vast majority of
problems. I have seen adult cats square
off with one fox, but go up a tree with
two. We welcomed a small dog into our
family a few years into this and made
the decision to be with him on a leash
when he is outside. It has worked well
for us so far.
Many people across Lincoln have
shared similar experiences where
foxes have "come to see them,"
particularly throughout the last decade
or so. Hopefully, people and foxes can
continue to live together in both rural
and urban areas, as it seems certain
they are here to stay.
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