I observe red fox family life in Hokkaido every year using trail cameras.
Now that the season has come when wild animals begin preparing for birth, I headed back to my usual forest.
Even with some snow still remaining, I found fox tracks and an open den.
After setting up the trail camera, one red fox and two raccoon dogs appeared at different times.
It’s still unclear which of them will end up using the den.
I’ll continue monitoring the site.
[2025] Fox Kits Spending Time Around the Den [Wild Red Fox Family Captured on Trail Camera]
巣穴のまわりで過ごす子ぎつね達【野生動物キタキツネの巣穴をトレイルカメラで観察】
The mother fox occasionally brings small prey, like mice, to her kits.
They're still too young to eat properly, but they seem to be learning what "food" is by licking, nibbling, and playing with it.
That said, their main source of nutrition is still their mother’s milk.
It's an important time for them to drink plenty and grow strong.
[2025] Mother Red Fox Chases Away a Raccoon [Observing a Red Fox Den with a Trail Camera]
母ギツネがアライグマを追い払う【キタキツネの巣穴をトレイルカメラで観察】
On this day, the kits stuck their heads out of the den for the first time.
But that night, a raccoon appeared again.
The mother fox stayed alert and chased it away to protect her young.
[2025] The Mother Fox Appreciates the Father’s Hard Work– Observing a Red Fox Den with a Trail Camera
父ギツネの労をねぎらう母ギツネ【キタキツネの巣穴をトレイルカメラで観察】
The father fox continues to search for food and bring it back to his family waiting in the den.
The mother fox happily snuggles up to the father, as if to show her gratitude.
With little time to rest, the father heads out again to hunt and keep watch around the den.
In the harshness of the wild, they quietly fulfill their roles as parents.
Together, they work to protect and raise their young.
[2025] A Night of Parent Foxes Protecting Their Kits [Trail Camera Footage]
巣穴の中の子ギツネを守る親ギツネの一夜【キタキツネの巣穴をトレイルカメラで観察】
A trail camera captured a raccoon boldly entering a fox den.
There should be newborn fox kits inside.
It's a pretty dangerous situation.
Later, the same raccoon was seen on another trail camera, this time with a mate, near a different den.
That den isn’t currently being used by foxes, but if the raccoons decide to raise their young around here, it could interfere with the foxes’ parenting.
That would really be a problem... 💦
[2025]This Year Again, a Raccoon Approaches the Red Fox Den
今年もキタキツネの巣穴に近づくアライグマの姿
The father fox goes out hunting several times a day, bringing food back to the mother fox waiting at the den.
Deep inside the den, the mother fox stays close to her kits, whose eyes are not yet open, quietly protecting them.
When the kits are newborns, the mother hardly ever leaves the den.
But as they grow to about two weeks old, she gradually begins to spend more time outside.
This is because the kits become able to maintain their body temperature on their own and can endure short periods without their mother.
However, the mountains are far from a safe place.
This year again, a raccoon was seen wandering around the den.
Many animals prey on young foxes — brown bears, martens, owls, eagles, hawks, and raccoons, to name a few.
I have witnessed many heartbreaking scenes myself.
For wild animals, raising their young is far harsher than humans can imagine.
[2025] The Fox Pair: The Den They Chose to Raise Their Young【Trail Camera】
キタキツネのつがい 子供を産む為に選んだ巣穴 【トレイルカメラ】
Last time, a pair of red foxes captured by the trail camera was searching for a den to raise their young.
They carefully inspected several dens, sometimes even peeking inside.
However, in the latest footage, the den they had been considering was not the one confirmed.
It seems they ultimately chose a different den nearby.
At the new den, the male fox can be seen repeatedly bringing food.
Meanwhile, the female fox rarely leaves the den, spending most of her time inside.
From this behavior, it is likely that their kits have already been born.
For a while now, the male and female will work together through this important period of raising their young.
I hope to continue quietly observing the parents' teamwork and the subtle changes around the den.
[2025] A Pair of Red Foxes Searching for a Den to Give Birth【Trail Camera】
出産のための巣穴を探すキタキツネのカップル【トレイルカメラ映像】
I visited the mountain where a pair of red foxes raise their young every year.
The air in the mountains was crisp and cold, and a significant amount of snow still remained.
Spring is approaching, but it will take some more time for all the snow to melt.
I set up a trail camera in an area where there were two holes that seemed suitable for a den.
A few days later, when I checked the footage, a pair of red foxes appeared on the camera.
The two seemed to be inspecting potential den sites, searching for a place to give birth.
Female red foxes typically become pregnant between February and March and give birth to their kits about 50 days later, in April or May.
Each litter usually consists of around four to six kits, but last year, an unusual seven kits were born.
Newborn kits are tiny, fragile, and their eyes are not yet open.
Because of this, the mother fox stays in the den for a while, nursing and caring for her young.
Meanwhile, the male supports the family by bringing food and keeping watch over the surroundings.
The pair captured in the footage will likely start preparing in earnest for raising their young soon.
I will continue my observations, hoping to see healthy, lively fox kits here again this year.
I thought there were six fox kits, but… 【trail camera footage】
子ぎつねは6匹だと思っていたら・・【トレイルカメラで観察】
During the relocation of the Ezo red fox den, I had confirmed six fox kits, but surprise!
There were not six, but seven kits.
The kits are so lively that it’s hard to count them.
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