Foxtrot Fun

The Cape Fox (Vulpes chama) is the only true fox genus in Southern Africa. They are nocturnal animals for the most part, but in places like the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park you often get to see them early in the morning or at dusk. Towards the end of the year they start denning, and this is when photographing them can be at its most productive: the kits are playful and boisterous, eager and curious to learn more about the big world they suddenly find themselves in. This creates some problems for their mothers who are tasked to raise them alone...protection and vigilance.

This photo shows two remaining kits of a litter of 3 playing in the cool of an overcast morning in the Nossob riverbed, with mom dutifully keeping an eye out for danger in the background. Cape Fox kits have high mortality rates, as there are many predators, raptors and snakes eager for a quick morsel.

Techs:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
1.4x teleconverter
f7.1  |  1/640 SS  |  ISO-800

click on the photo to view at optimal sharpness and resolution

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Morkel Erasmus

Foxy Face

Southern Africa has a couple of interesting canids to see when you are on safari. Besides plenty of Black-backed Jackals, the rare Side-striped Jackal and the funky-looking Bat-Eared Fox...there's also the Cape Fox (Vulpes Chama). This is our only true fox species, and they are beautiful and great fun to photograph.

Later this year I will be headed back to one of my favourite parks with my family - the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the Kalahari desert. We will be going right in time to hopefully see many dens of Cape Foxes with the young ones playing about energetically. This particular kit was sitting in a slight drizzle right outside its den, and also right beside the road. I used my telephoto lens and went in for a tight portrait.

Techs:

Nikon D3s

Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II

1.4x teleconverter

f5.6  |  1/500 SS  |  ISO-1000

Exposure Bias +0.7 

click on the photo to display properly

I hope you enjoyed this one. Have a great week, friends!

Morkel Erasmus