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Gardener captures stunning photos of nocturnal backyard visitors: 'These pictures almost don't seem real'

The comments focused on the high quality of the pictures.

The comments focused on the high quality of the pictures.

Photo Credit: Reddit

A homeowner took to Reddit to share some eye-catching pictures of their regular nocturnal visitors. 

The images, posted to the r/foxes subreddit, show red foxes in startling detail, captured over several months. The first snap shows a cheeky young fox with a glove in its mouth, and the other shots show a breeding pair in the yard. 

Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit

The red fox is one of the most widely distributed mammals in the world, common throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

Though no location was provided in the Reddit post, the use of the word "bloke" to describe the younger fox suggests the shots were taken in Britain. There are approximately 350,000 foxes in the U.K., but this figure represents a significant decline from the 1990s, according to the Wildlife Aid Foundation. 

Foxes play a helpful role in the ecosystem as both predator and prey, per Rutgers. Highly adaptable and opportunistic, they help control the population of smaller mammals while providing a food source for larger predators.

They can also act as seed dispersers, supplementing their diets with fruit, and as effective scavengers, they serve as natural cleanup crews. Interestingly, their presence can also help benefit tree growth, as one study found. 

The opportunism that allows them to thrive in various environments can cause some friction with humans. They are no threat to people and generally won't attack pets, but they will make off with small livestock given the chance. As the Toronto Wildlife Centre advises, it's essential not to feed them, as this can cause them to lose their natural fear of humans and lose key survival skills. 

A better way to support local wildlife is to create an inviting habitat for them. Rewilding your yard and upgrading to a natural lawn according to your gardening zone supports crucial pollinators — which help protect our food supply — and allows native animals and plants to thrive. Better still, native plants are much cheaper and easier to maintain. 

They don't require as much water or other resources, which lowers your bills. Native plants can also grow without much intervention, saving you time on maintenance. Even with a partial lawn replacement with a native garden or natural substitute such as clover, homeowners can enjoy these rewards. 

When you upgrade your yard and see wildlife like foxes visiting your property, it's solid proof that you're helping the environment. 

If you have a lawn, what aspect of it do you value most?

The way it looks 🤩

The way my family uses it 👪

It's enjoyable to mow 😎

It's cheap to maintain 💰

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

The comments on the Reddit post focused on the high quality of the pictures.

One said: "Omg these pictures almost don't seem real! Splendid job!" 

Another asked how the images were captured: "These are incredibly crisp. How is the lighting done?" The original poster responded by mentioning they'd used "just a few outdoor wall mounted LEDs." 

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