Bat-Eared Fox Page #2

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and the pups

don't realize the jackal

is circling back toward them.

With no meerkat sentry,

the foxes are more vulnerable

than ever.

Slipping through the shrubs,

the jackal gets very close...

...before he's spotted.

The jackal has been out-foxed

yet again,

but he'll never stop trying.

For all the animals here,

this is a lean and hungry time...

a time of long hunts

and little food.

At midday,

Ajax returns to the den to rest.

Daytime foraging can be rough

under the summer sun,

when temperatures of over 100 degrees

take their toll.

It's December,

the end of the hot dry season,

and the Kalahari bakes like

an open-air furnace.

Some of the animals here

are well-adapted to the heat,

but almost all seek out

whatever shade they can find

to conserve their energy.

Only the hungriest are out

on the prowl,

like this gaunt mother cheetah.

Ajax must shepherd the pups back into

the burrow to wait out the threat

as the cheetah stalks nearby.

Little Adventure does not know

enough to hide.

The cheetah calls to her

three offspring.

Luckily for little Adventure,

the cheetahs have another meal

in mind.

With the danger past, Selene calls

the other pups from the den.

Only Adventure shows little interest

in nursing.

He's well on his way to being

weaned.

Now almost 2 months old,

it won't be long before the other

pups follow suit.

But they still haven't lost

their interest in having fun.

There's always time for a good romp.

These rough and tumble games

may be practice

for more dangerous encounters

to come.

In the cool of the early evening,

games give way

to more serious matters.

The cheetahs have focused on

a herd of springbok.

The hunters eye their prey, waiting

for the right moment to strike.

The springbok are unaware of

the predators...

but these young cats are

still learning the rules of the hunt.

They launch their attack.

But it's too late.

The inexperienced cheetah

has let the prey escape.

Over the next few hours,

the cheetahs will test

their skills again.

By night, the cheetahs would

make the kill that eluded them by day.

Of course,

the jackal is never far off.

If he's hoping to find a meal here,

he'll have to settle for scraps.

All he can do is wait.

But other hungry eyes

watch from the darkness.

And the jackal decides to move in.

The cheetahs won't stand for it.

The scavenger continues

to lurk in the shadows.

Finally, the jackal can stand it no longer,

and grabs at the only thing it can

the discarded entrails.

And then the brown hyena

launches its assault.

Powerfully built,

with bone-crushing jaws,

the hyena is a dangerous rival.

The cheetahs won't risk injury

just to keep a few bones.

They've had their fill.

But as the carcass disappears

into the night...

the loss is harder on the jackal.

With their stomachs full,

the cheetahs settle in

to groom and lounge.

With all this action so close to home,

Ajax and Selene set off

in search of another den.

But moving at night can be risky.

The jackal is already on their trail.

And this time...

he's brought his mate.

Out in the open,

the foxes have nowhere to shelter

their pups if trouble begins.

Suddenly, Selene senses danger.

Ajax repels the first assault.

But this time,

the jackals aren't running away.

Selene looks for her pups

one's missing.

Little Joe has wandered off.

Ajax goes on the offensive.

But as he fights off the first jackal,

in the confusion...

the other goes for the prize.

In a matter of seconds...

little Joe is taken.

There's nothing Ajax can do.

The Kalahari

has claimed another victim.

As a new day breaks,

it's an unsettling time

for our fox family.

They've moved to a new home,

but paid a terrible price.

And there are more hard times

to come.

In this part of the Kalahari,

the rains are late this year.

The land has turned to dust.

The sun wrings...

every drop of moisture

out of the land.

The wildebeest are skittish

in the heat and with good reason.

As herds gather at the riverbed,

predators follow.

In these difficult times,

the lionesses are reluctant

to share even with their own cubs.

The winds that blow now

bring only trouble.

Sand storms are on the way.

Great clouds of dust

swirl across the land.

The animals wander in a choking haze.

But the parching winds

will soon bring relief as well.

Finally, the drought breaks.

The lions luxuriate in the shower...

and the foxes get a new lease on life.

The deluge may continue off and on

for months.

In February,

the rains temporarily subside,

and a new world is revealed.

The Kalahari has been transformed.

The Nossob is once again a river, and

it will draw life from miles around.

Storks arrive in search of

the hordes of insects

that appear after the rains.

Many animals are getting

their first drink of water in months.

Springbok find a great green pasture

spread out before them.

For the foxes too, things are changing.

These are fat times for everyone.

Even nervous meerkats

will take advantage of

this season of abundance.

The fox pups are growing up.

The family no longer needs

to stay close to the den.

For Kinky, Adventure and Flash,

there's a new world to explore.

The small animals

that endured the dry season

now find themselves surrounded by

the grazing herds

that follow the summer rains.

Gemsbok, springbok, hartebeest

all return to the riverbed

in this time of plenty.

For grazers like this wildebeest,

there's a banquet at their feet.

The bat-ears, like all the animals

in this part of the Kalahari,

take advantage of the bounty.

Ajax has had

a successful day of foraging.

He's got a gecko a tiny lizard.

And he's bringing home the treat.

For the pups, this wiggly snack

will present a new challenge.

Flash is still angling

for easier meals,

but her brothers go for the gecko.

Selene is only reluctantly

willing to nurse.

The pups are getting too big.

With a full set of teeth, they are

now well equipped to chew up a lizard.

A neighboring family of cape foxes

makes its presence known.

The bat-ears aren't glad to see them.

For the first time,

Kinky and Adventure show a Cape Fox

who's in charge.

Selene gives her feisty youngsters

a grooming reward.

While Ajax always pugnacious adds

a bit of bravado to the display.

Of course,

intimidating the youngsters is easy.

It may be a different story when

the Cape Fox mother returns.

But the belligerent Ajax won't

stand for any trouble.

The Cape Fox mother will keep her distance for a while

leaving her youngster to defend

for himself.

As long as Ajax is around,

the pup will have to wait

for his next meal.

As it turns out, there are big events

afoot for the bat-eared foxes.

As the sun begins to set,

the pups are heading out

to forage for themselves.

The whole family sets off together.

For Selene and Ajax,

this marks a turning point.

It's been hard work

caring for the pups,

but they're on the way

to taking care of themselves.

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