1906_2696 Red Fox Kit
This fox kit is nearly full grown but still listens to mom. I had a minute or two to shoot, in the last light of the setting sun, before the parent fox - concealed in tall grass nearby - gave a sharp warning and the kit abruptly dived into its den and safety. Two ears poked up from concealment, then two eyes and part of a face: a beautiful blonde variant! But I couldn't convince her to come out and pose for me, and a few moments later I lost the light.
We come now to one of my longstanding gripes. I try not to use Flickr as a forum for complaining, because nature and wildlife photographers already know these things and are here to share positive experiences and great photos. But. Just. Once. A moment ago, checking online to make sure the Red Fox is still taxonomically Vulpes vulpes, I came across this in Wikipedia: "the red fox is one of the most important furbearing animals harvested for the fur trade."
Wrong. You do not "harvest" an animal. You kill it. This euphemism is intended to soften the blow, cushion delicate souls from reality, minimize the suffering, deny the truth. We hear politicians use such odious language all the time. The governments of Washington and British Columbia are currently "harvesting" wolves; a certain percentage of moose may be "harvested" each fall - as if they were as insensitive as rows of corn or wheat in a field. No images of blood and death, please; it's too offensive to contemplate. It's so widespread, this spinning of truth into some sort of palatable fantasy that may ease the conscience a little - so that people slide into apathy and allow barbaric practices to continue. So that people who wear fox coats or hats can think of bloodless rows of corn, if they think at all. So that the politicians can appease as many voters as possible and get re-elected. So that we never have to admit what we really do.
Okay, enough. End of rant. I realize that it's unrealistic to expect honest words from elected officials and other authority figures. But I really am tired of the bs.
Photographed near Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
1906_2696 Red Fox Kit
This fox kit is nearly full grown but still listens to mom. I had a minute or two to shoot, in the last light of the setting sun, before the parent fox - concealed in tall grass nearby - gave a sharp warning and the kit abruptly dived into its den and safety. Two ears poked up from concealment, then two eyes and part of a face: a beautiful blonde variant! But I couldn't convince her to come out and pose for me, and a few moments later I lost the light.
We come now to one of my longstanding gripes. I try not to use Flickr as a forum for complaining, because nature and wildlife photographers already know these things and are here to share positive experiences and great photos. But. Just. Once. A moment ago, checking online to make sure the Red Fox is still taxonomically Vulpes vulpes, I came across this in Wikipedia: "the red fox is one of the most important furbearing animals harvested for the fur trade."
Wrong. You do not "harvest" an animal. You kill it. This euphemism is intended to soften the blow, cushion delicate souls from reality, minimize the suffering, deny the truth. We hear politicians use such odious language all the time. The governments of Washington and British Columbia are currently "harvesting" wolves; a certain percentage of moose may be "harvested" each fall - as if they were as insensitive as rows of corn or wheat in a field. No images of blood and death, please; it's too offensive to contemplate. It's so widespread, this spinning of truth into some sort of palatable fantasy that may ease the conscience a little - so that people slide into apathy and allow barbaric practices to continue. So that people who wear fox coats or hats can think of bloodless rows of corn, if they think at all. So that the politicians can appease as many voters as possible and get re-elected. So that we never have to admit what we really do.
Okay, enough. End of rant. I realize that it's unrealistic to expect honest words from elected officials and other authority figures. But I really am tired of the bs.
Photographed near Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.