June 1, 2013
Red Fox Vixen And Kit in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

I was at the red fox den all day yesterday because the situation there had changed dramatically the day before. We missed the excitement, but heard that a badger had come to the den, fought with the vixen, and then disappeared into the den. The kits came out a back entrance and were safe, but the badger was still inside the den by the time we arrived around 4:00 pm. The vixen kept vigil by the den waiting for the badger to come out until I left around 8:10 pm. I got to the den at a rather late 6:30 am yesterday after sleeping in, and as far as everyone knew, the badger was still down in the main den and the kits had been seen going into a new den only about 75 yds (70m) away. For most of the day, either the vixen (female) or dog (male) adult were somewhere around the old den waiting for the badger to come out. The kits came out and played from about 8:50 am to 9:50 am, a little around 12:45 pm, and from about 4:20 pm to 4:40 pm. During the last outing, the vixen played tug-of-war with one of the kits using a dead uinta ground squirrel (above). I'm sure she was training the kit how to hunt.

Shortly after this last outing for the kits, the vixen left the den area and the dog had been away for a while. Shortly before 5:15 pm, the badger came out of the old den. After checking the area around the old den, it quickly made a beeline to the new den. I don't think the new den had a back entrance yet, and the kits were never seen again. The vixen came back before 5:30, sniffed the new den, then went to the old den and sat vigil there. Around 6:25 pm, the vixen went to the new den and I think that's when she figured out that the badger was down inside the new den. I left around 8:00 pm and the badger was still down in the new den.