Bat-Eared Fox Page #3

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No longer tied to the den,

the pups can explore the landscape.

The pups...

and the family itself

are quickly coming of age.

In the Kalahari,

night is the time of the hunter.

And now the bat-eared fox family

can make the most of it.

They'll hunt like this for hours

and there'll be some surprises

along the way.

For the pups, this gecko will offer

another chance to test their skills.

Flash already knows insects,

but lizards still present a challenge.

Of course,

Ajax knows exactly what to do.

Flash begs for a bite,

but she must learn to catch her own.

It's time for Ajax to give her a lesson,

he stuns the gecko,

then waits as his daughter

draws near.

She's happy to try a morsel...

now that it's stopped running around.

Not far away the cape fox mother

is also out foraging.

For these accomplished omnivores,

catching a gecko is second nature.

The young cape foxes know just how

to handle fresh meat.

Even as pups,

they have the killer instinct.

A night-jar chose the wrong place

to rest.

These ferocious youngsters

will go after anything

from a bird to a baby meerkat.

But on the other side of the river,

the young bat-eared foxes

are still learning.

For Kinky, a scorpion is

definitely a mouthful.

Which end should he grab?

Instinctively, he seems to know

it's not entirely harmless.

But subdued,

a scorpion is a crunchy treat.

Meanwhile,

Adventure's inquisitive streak...

leads him off into the night.

But he's not alone.

The lion is closer than

the foxes realize.

And in an instant,

it's too late.

Selene searches for her youngster,

but he's gone.

For a moment,

Ajax seems to consider a run

at the lion.

But for all his posturing,

there's nothing he can do.

Another young member of his family

has been taken.

The family regroups at their old den,

seeking safety on familiar ground.

For the bat-eared fox family,

times are tough.

They've lost half the litter

only two pups remain.

The rains have passed

and winter comes to the Kalahari.

It's June, and Kinky and Flash

are nearly grown.

The land is dry again.

And food is dwindling.

But there are more than enough

termites around.

Their mounds are everywhere

in this part of the Kalahari.

With the cooler temperatures,

the bat-ears can forage all day.

Now that Flash and Kinky are grown,

the jackal is no longer a threat,

and he actually forages

alongside the family.

There's plenty here for everyone.

By now,

the grazing animals have all gone.

But an exotic visitor drops by

a kori bustard.

One of the heaviest of

the flying birds,

it's also come to partake in the termite feast.

The youngsters have seen

a lot of things by now,

but nothing quite like this.

Flash stays out of the way.

By August,

the foxes are nine months old

and their lives take another turn.

A newly mature Flash is leaving scent

markings letting males know

she'll soon be ready to mate.

But Ajax, the protective father,

covers her markings with his own.

Still,

Flash's instincts won't be denied.

While the family forages, Flash

is on her own persistent mission.

She's done her advertising,

and it's been noticed.

A young male fox has caught her scent.

Flash welcomes him,

and the courtship begins.

Over the next few days,

the two foxes will bond.

Flash isn't ready to mate,

but she's interested.

And her suitor, even more.

None of this sits well with Ajax.

Flash and her suitor

take their first tentative steps together.

He seems a little pushy.

She seems inclined to go along.

Ajax has seen enough.

Heads down

the youngsters beg for forbearance

Flash interceding as her beau

cowers behind.

But Ajax wants him gone.

His parental work done,

Ajax settles down with the family.

Flash rejoins them.

Her first flirtation has been

a failure.

Or has it?

Her would-be mate hasn't gone far.

He's just a quarter-of-a-mile away.

Foraging to keep us his strength,

he intends to stick around for awhile.

Ajax seems to be feeling complacent.

He's managed to keep his family

intact at least for now.

But Kinky, too,

has reached sexual maturity and

now he's in the market for a mate.

He leaves the family

in search of his future.

Soon Flash's persistent...

suitor tries another approach.

This time, he advances with deference

a young suitor seeking approval.

This approach goes over much better

with Ajax,

who allows the young suitor

to leave with Flash.

The young couple set off

to begin their new life.

Meanwhile, Kinky has discovered

the scent of an available female,

and in passing, leaves his own.

As night falls, the female's family

discovers his markings.

Kinky's potential mate

appears receptive,

adding her own scent to his.

She is, in fact, the fox next door

from the riverbed family.

Kinky tries his luck.

They seem a little touchy,

so he takes a low-key approach.

And it appears to be working.

Ears back, crouching low,

he's a study in submission.

The new couple leave the family behind and,

in time,

their courtship will begin in earnest.

Meanwhile, Flash and her mate have

moved to her family's first burrow.

But she's still not ready to mate.

When the time finally comes,

he's still not sure which end is up.

At last, he gets it right.

To help insure the success

of their union,

the mating will go on for days.

In just over two months,

the couple will know

if they've accomplished their goal.

With luck, there will soon be

new additions to the neighborhood.

By November, Flash has pups of her own

a healthy litter of three.

Despite the hardships of life

in this unforgiving land,

Ajax and Selene's bloodline

now has a chance of living on.

A feisty new generation of pups

has arrived...

desert foxes...

with an ear to the winds

that blow across the great Kalahari.

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