Sometimes, well-intentioned people see young animals without a parent nearby, and the first thought is that the animal is orphaned or abandoned and needs help. However, in almost every case the parent is watching close by. Remember, a wild animal’s best chance for survival is in its natural environment where it can learn normal behaviors from its own species. Ohio’s native wildlife have developed specific survival techniques that have been proven to work year after year.
The red fox raises its young in the protection of a den. The den can be understructure or dug into the ground. After giving birth, the female remains in the den with the helpless kits while the male hunts and brings her food. The kits are completely weaned after two months, and both adults then bring food to the den site. The kits learn hunting skills from their parents soon after. The young are considered fully grown after about four months. They stay at the den through the summer and continue to learn life skills from the parents.
