Two Foxes Climb Through A Fence

Summary

The text recounts the author's observations and reflections on a pair of foxes living in Santa Monica, their displacement due to human intervention, and the broader implications for wildlife and human society facing environmental and economic challenges.

Abstract

The narrative describes a personal experience where the author regularly encountered two foxes in Santa Monica, California, who had made their home within a country club's grounds. The foxes' routine of enjoying the night's freedom before retreating through a hole in the fence to their den became a cherished part of the author's morning ritual. However, this harmony was disrupted when the author witnessed the hole being welded shut, potentially separating the foxes from their kits. The incident prompts the author to ponder the resilience of wildlife and the human responsibility to coexist with and assist nature. The story extends to the human struggle with eviction and the impact of climate change, emphasizing the need for proactive involvement in the face of adversity, whether for foxes or fellow humans.

Opinions

The author expresses a deep appreciation for the beauty and intelligence of the foxes, considering their presence as an enhancement to the environment.
There is a sense of regret and personal responsibility for not intervening to help relocate the foxes' kits when the opportunity arose.
The author reflects on the broader issue of climate change and its impact on habitats, suggesting that humans are encroaching on wildlife environments.
A parallel is drawn between the foxes' struggle for survival and the plight of people facing eviction in Los Angeles County, highlighting the shared challenges across species.
The author advocates for a more active role in environmental stewardship and societal issues, acknowledging that inaction can stem from societal norms like politeness.
The narrative concludes with a call to action for individuals to influence their surroundings positively and to remember the resilience of life, as exemplified by the foxes' adaptability.

Two Foxes Climb Through A Fence

Life finds a way

Photo by Rangga Cahya Nugraha on Unsplash

Several years ago, I would walk around an area of Santa Monica, California in the morning, early. So early that I would park my car and not be ready for a bit as I sat in the dark and read or listened to a podcast.

Every morning a pair of Foxes would return to the same spot, about 30 feet from where I parked. It became a routine I looked forward to. I would wait for them to show up, or they would wait for me.

They would take the last smell of the open air as they stood in the middle of the darkened empty street. Two Foxes that were clearly relishing the last few moments of their freedom, of their nightly hunt time, before having to hide and be still without movement or sound. A Who let the Foxes out kind of feeling as they only had so much time of freedom. Proud parents enjoying their last moments of a date night before clawing baby pups would be demanding their attention.

First one Fox would pull herself away from the street, making her way to the grass hidden fence line and entrance that encircled the Country Club. Then the other Fox would hesitate just for a moment until he relented and followed her wisdom as she was already in. Home free on the other side. There was a hole in the fence that allowed them access. So their den was somewhere in and around a magnificent golf course.

Nice address, I thought to myself. Thinking I was granted an intimate pleasure of being the only one who knew of their existence and unofficial but De facto residency.

One morning as I glanced over in the direction of their entrance, I was proven wrong. Sitting in the dark I saw sparks starting to fly as a welder began to solder the hole shut in the fence. His head lamp swinging across his work space in front of him.

I was sickened to think that this Fox couple, this excellent team, were possibly separated from their kit on the other side of the fence.

It’s been several years since then and I still think about them from time to time. Those sleek Foxes returning to their haven before day break. The battle for their daily existence.

But remembering my own situations, the times when you’re truly motivated to make something happen, to create something from nothing, you just do it. There is nothing that can stand in your way. Failure is not an option.

I’d like to think they found another way in, and brought their cubs to safety. Relocating them away from a hostile environment.

I have a feeling they bypassed the welder and found another way in, and then relocated to a comfy haven just perfect. Perhaps even better.

Any place a Fox takes up residency, to me, would improve the place.

What harm is a family of well behaved, handsome, smart, intelligent, and witty, Foxes to a large area of land, with natural trees and resources?

We’re the ones cutting in on their environment. But this is another subject, and not one to look away from, because climate change will make us look for ways to help those whose environment drastically changes in an instant, including us.

But sometimes life needs a hand to help it along. I could have made a call to see if there were pups inside to relocate and suggest they be placed where the hole was welded shut, but I didn’t.

How often do we make the decision to get involved with a life, with wildlife when we see they need help?

There will be more instances of similar situations to lend a hand to the life around us. Whether it be a Fox, a Hawk, or a Human.

Since the COVID pandemic, and then the Writer’s and SAG strike there is a reported 50,000 people either evicted or about to be evicted, in Los Angeles County alone, whose life changed overnight.

LA Controller Kenneth Mejia announced the news September 25th, citing the numbers started rising back in February, read more about this here https://www.dailynews.com/2023/09/25/la-controller-mejia-says-50000-evictions-have-been-filed-since-february/

The Yin and Yang of life. There is the struggle for life and we all must face it. Those of us who take chances, the dreamers, the innovators, the entrepreneurs, the stakes are high, and businesses rise and fall, and fortunes are lost, and many must start over more than once. But some are not accustomed to this life, and I think, in my humble opinion, may need guidance to say the least.

Here’s to the teams of Foxes out there looking to plot their next move, their escape to set up their small empire. A team effort, no doubt. It will take two partners dedicated to breaking through to the other side, together, come hell or high water, literally.

I didn’t do the right thing with the family of Foxes, because it was too hard. I might offend the owners of the property, a Midwestern trait that is hard to get rid of. Politeness to the point of ridiculousness. To truly stop observing the world around us as a spectator instead of an active present being, capable of great influence on our environment, with hopefully better outcomes. This is the call to action. Starting with myself, and a family of Foxes I will never forget.

Because life finds a way.