06 August 2013

Another close encounter with an Arabian Red Fox – Dhahran Hills


Having located a site where at least one Arabian Red Fox was relatively confiding I went to the area with my big 600mm lens to try my luck with some photos. The animals very rarely show themselves in the daylight and generally appear as the light is fading. This was the case here, where they came out about fifteen minutes before sunset and showed quite well. At one stage one even tried to dig up something from the compacted sand but it did not appear to find anything to eat. The animals have become quite tame with me when I approach their home and seem to act very naturally which is great. They are certainly very different to the Red Fox we get in the United Kingdom of which I am familiar, being much smaller and a very different colour. They also have much bigger ears and more fur between their toes, all things adapted for living in the hot desert conditions they find themselves in.