This body of work was published in NatureinFocus on 18 May, 2017.
‘Sir, lomdi ka toh kya hai, kahin bhi ghar bana le’ (Sir, foxes can survive anywhere), my guide at Tal Chhapar said to me in 2013.
The Desert Fox, also known as the White-footed Fox (Vulpes vulpes pusilla) is the most widely distributed carnivore in the world. It is a small, Asiatic subspecies of Red Fox that ranges through most of the northwestern Indian subcontinent, Pakistan's desert districts, Baluchistan, southern Iran, and Iraq.
Like most other species, foxes too have been affected by habitat loss, but fortunately, their habitat is varied and they are extremely adaptive. Thanks to centuries of folklore and countless storybooks, words like ‘cunning’ and ‘shrewd’ are typically associated with the fox. In my view, it’s best to stay away from associating such adjectives with a species we know so little about. Like any other species, it must fight for survival and to continue its bloodline.
I have been following, and photographing, Desert Foxes for four years now, mostly in Rajasthan and the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
This photo story is a visual representation of my journey.
The first time I photographed a Desert Fox was in 2013. The sighting was completely unexpected and I wasn’t ready for it. Of course, the first sighting is always exciting. Invariably, it is accompanied by a feeling of tension, a heightening of the senses. But since then, I’ve learned a lot. Photographing a Desert Fox involves lying flat on the ground in extreme heat and waiting patiently for long periods of time, sometimes for up to 5-6 hours. Blending into the environment with appropriate clothing and keeping movement to a bare minimum is very important, so the foxes don’t feel threatened and alter their normal behaviour.
It was in the Rann of Kutch when I finally saw the Desert Fox in close quarters. “It’s smaller than I expected’’ was my first thought, and later on, when I showed my photographs to my friends and family, that was their reaction too. Adults usually measure about 30-40cm in shoulder height, and don’t grow to more than 40-45cm in length.
The Desert Fox is the smallest of the three Red Fox subspecies found in India – the other two being the Himalayan or Hill Fox (Vulpes vulpes montana) and the Kashmir or Afghan Fox (Vulpes vulpes griffithi).
After I spent some time in her vicinity, this female became comfortable in my presence. It took a while, but then she looked straight at me – a stare that will stay with me forever. I knew I would be spending a lot of time with this subject in the future.
The Desert Fox is not to be confused with its close relative, the Indian Fox, although they share similar ranges. It’s easy to distinguish between the two. The Indian Fox has a black-tipped tail, the Desert Fox’s tail is brushed with white.
When I was photographing desert foxes in Tal Chhapar back in 2013, we saw something moving around a juli flora shrub, and stopped. ‘Maine joda dekha hai, sir’ (I have seen a pair here), my guide said. It is not a common sight to see a male and female desert fox together. The male made the first move and walked away with what seemed like a sense of purpose. The female stayed where she was. After a while, we saw the male pounce on something, and then return to the shrub where she was. He offered the kill (possibly a jird) to the female. By then, we had put our cameras away – there was too much obstructing our view. The pair approached each other briskly, carefully, with tails erect. When they get closer they started making some squeaking noises. They rubbed and pushed against each other, poking their noses into each other’s neck fur. Then they chased each other for a bit. After a while they stopped, and stood quietly for some time, one putting a head over the other’s back. ‘Ab mating hoga, sir’ (Now they will mate) the guide said. We did not see anything for the next hour or so, but the movement in the bush told us they were still there.
Prime breeding season is around January. Mating pairs usually make a den with 2-3 or more entrances, near a juli flora tree. The roots act as an additional support to the foundation of the den, and its canopy offers shelter from the extreme heat. The female makes multiple dens in the same vicinity to protect her cubs from predators or any other environmental changes that might affect one of the dens.
When the pups are born, they are completely blind. Litters, usually of 2-4 pups, continue to be fed by their mother for about a month. In about two weeks’ time, they start to get curious and venture out of the den.
In their first 4-8 weeks of life, the pups remain fully dependent on their mother. Before they become solitary adults, they will be cared for by the mother, and at times, both parents.
I have often observed co-parenting behaviour in these foxes – the father helps the mother build the den, and helps hunt for prey to bring back to the pups.
It is a joy to see these pups play. Anything and everything can arouse their mischievous instincts once they are old enough to emerge from their den. I was struck by the size of this pup, hardly bigger than a feather.
Desert Foxes are nocturnal mammals, most active early in the morning or late in the evening. While photographing them, my day starts very early and ends very late. Shooting conditions tend to be challenging due to low light in twilight hours.
As with litters of other species, desert fox siblings often exhibit very different behaviour patterns – some are shy, some are extremely brave and curious.
Nose pushing, jaw wrestling, cheek rubbing, and facial licking are commonly observed behaviours. These gestures may appear to be signs of aggression, but they aren’t. However, foxes do emphasise their dominance by “standing over” and “riding up”.
Young foxes learn important survival skills for life through playful games, fights, and mock hunts. These behaviours are also a way to establish dominance within the family.
Sexual curiosity is common from a very early age. There’s little scientific research on this, but I’ve seen pups engaging in mock mating behaviour when they are about a month old. It's estimated that after about 12 months or so, they become mature enough to breed.
A fox pup performing a mock hunt. Being small in size, they pounce on their prey – typically rodents, lizards, jirds, small birds, and even hare at times. They also scavenge for food when they need to.
Foxes tend to move around human settlements in search of water and to scavenge. Seen here is a fox drinking water from a manmade water hole. They usually end up relying on resources that pet dogs or feral strays also make use of. For these reasons, fights with feral dogs are very common. Desert Foxes are difficult to chase down, but these fights often end badly for them, as dogs hunt in packs and the fox is a solitary mammal that is smaller in size. Their pups make for easy targets, and the dens are easy to find. Foxes are also commonly preyed on by larger mammals like the hyena, wolf and jackal.
After about 4-8 weeks of staying together, the pups leave the den they were born in. They will lead the rest of their lives as solitary animals, pairing up only to mate.
Foxes are one of the most adaptive species. They thrive in all kinds of habitats, from grasslands to dry-deciduous forests to the dry and arid habitat of the Rann of Kutch.
These solitary carnivores survive, and thrive, in some of the most barren habitats in India