Who are the Flashman foxes?

On Friday November 13th 2009 I got the two animals who I had wanted for many, many years; Harry and Elspeth Flashman the Corsac foxes!

I am often asked why they have their own last name and it is simple. They are my favourite animals so it is only fitting that I name them after my favourite characters in my favourite books! Harry is named after the main character in George McDonald Fraser's 'Flashman' and Elspeth is named after Flashman's wife.

In August 2010 two fennec foxes joined our family. Being so very different from Harry and Elspeth we decided not to name them after characters from 'Flashman' and so decided to name them Inari and Kitsune.

In March 2011 Rudi joined the family and being a corsac I instantly knew what I wanted to call him! Now young Rudi has a problem. . . One of his legs is not quite right, he cannot walk on it or weigh bare on it at all and his original owner did not bother to get it sorted out. He came to us as a rescue but we love him just as much as the others and could not imagine Harry and Elspeth ever being without him.

Then in April 2011 Valentina 'Valla' the corsac kit joined our family she was once more named after a character from the books. Being so young we did not put her with the adults and do not plan to until she at much older. As we bottle raised Valla she is a very soppy little fox and was very happy to meet and greet people at the Ark animal sanctuary's exotics awareness day on July 17th 2011.

In May 2011 we adopted a beautiful silver fox by the name of Freyja. Freyja was both Valla's best friend and all round a wonderful fox. At the East of England show she managed to make friends with a fox hound who had no idea she was a fox or at least had no want to kill her, she also adored spending time with our dog 'Pig' who loved her nearly as much as Valla did. Sadly on July 12th Freyja was put to sleep after she lost brain function during a fit. Our princess will always be in our hearts.

Our most recent family member is Sapphire the blue phase arctic fox. Sapphire was bought as a friend for Valla as Valla could not cope without Freyja. Sapphire joined Valla as a representative of Flashman foxes at the Ark. She very much enjoyed being cuddled by many, many people and also somehow slept through our gazebo trying to fly away not once, not twice but three times!

Oh and then there are the humans; myself Elina, my partner Griff and our daughter Audrey. We all adore our foxes so very much and hope to teach people that they are not 'vermin' but wonderful creatures that should be treasured not hated.