Why the versatile Irish fox deserves respect

I HAD a close encounter with a fox the other day.

It was early one morning, soon after dawn, and I was driving slowly and carefully along an icy country road. The fox shot out of the hedge on the right hand side of the road, flowed across in front of the car and bounded effortlessly over a wall on the left hand side.

He was a big fox – I’m almost sure it was a male, the only superficial difference is that dog foxes are normally about 15% heavier than vixens and look bulkier as well as larger. He still had his winter coat, long and silky and deep red with a distinctive white tip to his brush. Soon this will be moulted in favour of thinner, patchy summer fur.