The kit fox, or desert fox, is the smallest fox in North America. An adult is only about 20-inches long, and little ones are so tiny and adorable that if you got a peek at one you would want to pick it up and hold it. Besides being tiny, they are so cute with pretty, light-tan fur on their sharp-pointed faces, necks and legs and a slightly darker color over their backs and long, bushy tails.
The pleasant looks on their tiny faces, with their dark eyes and black-button noses, topped off by a pair of large, perky ears, all make an unforgettable picture. These youngsters are so tiny you could hold one in your hand. The parents are equally pretty.
At one time there were large numbers in western North America, but today there are only a few, most of which live near Bakersfield, California, in oil-field areas. Their choice of food is mostly rats, mice and ground squirrels. But as these too are becoming scarce, the hungry kit foxes are sometimes spotted at night prowling around marketplaces, no doubt hoping to find some bit of meat or other food.
They use the same den year after year, but their worst enemy, the coyote, is often able to break into their dens and destroy the foxes. So kindhearted people now provide man-made dens for them, properly buried in the ground. These are made of steel pipes welded together in suitable shapes with an opening just large enough for the foxes, but not the coyotes. California officials also have learned of the serious threat of coyotes and hunters as well, and are trying to keep hunters, settlers and industries from coming into those areas, since this will destroy the small number of kit foxes that are left.
It’s sad enough to think that coyotes and other larger foxes are their enemies, but hawks and eagles also go after them. No doubt the Creator of these lovely creatures has put protective kindness into the hearts of people, and it is hoped the authorities will continue to do what they can to preserve them.
We cannot overlook that the opening Bible verse refers to some damage little foxes have always done, and it reminds us that this world can never be a perfect place while our chief enemy, Satan, remains in it. The wonderful hope of those who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour is His promise to soon call us to heaven, where no sin or sorrow will ever be. Will you be part of the great number who will be there?
OCTOBER 2, 1994
ML-10/02/1994