SAN JUAN FOX

“SAN JUAN FOX”  I was invited to join a friend on a trip to photograph the foxes of San Juan Islands.  Each spring, the new fox kits emerge from their dens ready to play while the adults hunt for food and photographers watch and photograph.  "Red Fox" are not only the red/orange you think of and on the San Juan Islands, they are also found black, silver, and even multi-colored.   In the past there was a problem with locals and visitors baiting and feeding foxes to bring them closer.  This often happened while pups were supposed to be being taught by their parent to hunt and the young foxes became habituated to humans and dependent on handouts.  They soon began to comfortably approach tourists and motor vehicles and many were killed by cars, especially the young kits.  In addition, some people brought their dogs into the fox-den area which caused exposure of distemper to the foxes.  Because of this, and for the future health and safety of the fox population, the current local rules are that humans leave a minimum 75-foot buffer between them and the foxes and people leave their dogs at home unless they have had their distemper shots.

The 3 days photographing on the island was incredible.  This painting is the first from that particular trip but I have more fox photos I am excited to someday put to canvas.