This shot is a world first – never before has a red fox been filmed catching a fish.
An accident? Hardly: Within a few hours, the little robber pulls ten carp out of the water.
The video has created enthusiasm among experts and among the Spanish researchers who only happen to be watching and filming the event:
“Seeing the fox chasing carp after carp was amazing. We’ve studied the species for years, but we didn’t expect that.” – ecologist Jorge TobajasUniversity of Cordoba
“The biggest surprise was to see that the fox caught numerous carp without making a mistake. This made us realize that it was certainly not the first time he had done this.” – ecologist Jorge TobajasUniversity of Cordoba
Instead of devouring its prey directly, the red fox hides most of its catch. According to the researchers, the observed male shares a fish with a female. The conspecific may be his mate.
Fish remains have been found in foxes before, but it’s not clear whether the animals catch the fish themselves or ingest dead specimens. Red foxes are undemanding omnivores that adapt their diet to local and seasonal conditions.
The researchers filmed the capture of the furry four-legged friend in March 2016 – more than six years later they published their results in the journal Ecology.
But foxes are not the only dogs that catch fish. This behavior has also been observed in wolves on the Pacific coast of North America. According to the researchers, the fact that two different subspecies of dogs behave in the same way suggests that it is a common hunting practice of the animals.