Original subtitles

People sometimes ask, Coyote,

what is the most difficult animal to film with

and my answer is foxes.

Yes, they are adorable.

There's no arguing that.

But what you don't realize is that getting

them to sit still for the cameras

is virtually impossible.

Not only will they not sit still, they are tricksy.

And it's my opinion that foxes believe they're actually

the ones running the show.

To be honest, it's a pretty accurate belief.

Try directing a fox, and you will

understand exactly what I mean.

What's going on, guys?

Here we are at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center.

Of course, they have wolves, they have coyotes,

but today we're getting into an enclosure with a red fox.

Now, over the course of my career,

I've had multiple chances to get into enclosures with foxes.

Once with a baby fox in Alaska and once with a full grown fox

in Florida.

But today, here in Colorado, I'm going

to get the chance to pal around with not one but two foxes.

And you never know what's going to happen

when you get into an enclosure with two foxes.

So if you guys are ready, let's head in and see what happens.

Hi, guys, who's ready to play?

So we're going to be hanging out with Rhett and Scarlett,

and this time of year, the foxes have

their winter coats that have grown in,

so they're incredibly fluffy.

Now to get into the fox enclosure,

it's a very intricate system.

This is a double gate system, and we want to make sure

that the foxes do not get out.

So what I'm going to do is open up this gate,

and, guys, come on in with the cameras.

It appears that the foxes are very curious

and getting up close with us right from the get go,

so that's good.

In the past, I've had a lot of trouble getting

the foxes to actually get close to me,

probably because I'm a coyote.

Well, let's go through the and with with any luck,

this is going to be an incredible fox encounter.

All right, we're coming in.

Hi, buddy.

How are you?

Hi.

All right, Mario, close the gate behind you.

Oh, come here. Come on.

That's why you got the double fences.

All right.

Hi, how are you?

Look at this.

OK, now any time I work with a mammal,

the first thing I want to do is just enter into its world

and give it a second to acclimate to us being here.

And I know how this goes.

You immediately want to walk in and have

something magical happen.

It always takes a little while before the animals get used

to you, and then, of course, that's when

the encounter becomes magical.

OK, let's just walk around and take a tour.

So what we have here is a fox slide.

So if I was a fox, just for fun, you could slide down this

and bounder off into the snow.

It smells very musky in here.

So over here is the little fox den, right?

This is perfect, just like a little fox hotel.

What's really cool is check this out.

Come around to the front side.

If you look up and over here, this is the fox skyway,

where the foxes can actually move from one side

of an enclosure to the other.

Pretty big space for these foxes to be moving around in.

Do you know where Scarlett is?

Rhett, do you know where Scarlett is?

So Scarlett's in here somewhere, and I thought

we'd be hanging out with two foxes,

but it appears that Rhett is the one who has the most interest

in playing and hanging out.

Don't you take my hat.

I see what you're doing.

I make a great step stool.

Coyote, I found Scarlett.

You did?

Yeah.

All right, here I come.

This is how foxes are.

They're sometimes gregarious, sometimes

just want to hunker down and hide in a tiny little burrow

like this.

And I don't want to stick my hand all the way down there.

If Scarlett is going to come out and hang out with us,

she's going to come out and hang out.

We'll see if we can entice her out.

Let's see.

Scarlett?

Come here, sweetie.

Cheese. Oh, look.

Look.

Cheese.

There's cheese.

Her she comes.

Hi.

I'm sorry, did we wake you up?

I know you're sleeping just before sunset.

Foxes specialize in coming out at night to do their hunting,

primarily nocturnal.

You want to try to get Scarlett out of there, Rhett?

Here we go.

All right, now you're out.

Well, the good news is Scarlett has joined the party,

and I've got a pocket full of cheese.

All right, let's see if we can have a little run

around with two foxes.

Let's show everybody how good a fox is at climbing.

Oh, look at that.

Now you may be saying to yourself, wow,

this is about as adorable as it gets for a canidae.

Does a fox make a good pet?

Absolutely not.

Foxes require an incredible amount of attention.

They are also going to musk all over everything.

And when it comes to a fox actually being in your house,

this is not something that you would

ever want to consider as a pet.

Now the reason that these foxes are here at The Wolf Center

is because these are rescued foxes.

These foxes cannot be released back into the wild.

But as you can see they're getting plenty of enrichment,

plenty of exercise, and they're living a very happy and very

healthy life here in Colorado.

Now when you hear the term red fox,

obviously this very definitive red coat

is the first thing that comes to mind,

but the red fox actually comes in a variety

of different color phases.

They can even be blackish gray.

So oftentimes, people will mistake

red foxes for gray foxes.

The red fox is the largest of the fox species.

And this fox isn't quite as large as it looks, right?

Its coat is so puffy right now because it's winter.

They've got all these outer protective guard hairs that

keep away snow and water, and then it's that soft downy

undercoat that keeps them warm even in temperatures

that drop well below 0 degrees.

And the reason that Rhett is so interested in my fingers

at the moment is because they taste like cheese.

You want to show me how your slide works?

If we can get Rhett to go up to the top of the slide,

he'll actually come down and plop

out right here into the snow.

Unfortunately, I think right now Rhett is much more

interested in checking out these cameras

than he is actually going into the slide.

It's funny how the foxes always seem to love the camera

crew more than they love me. Up.

And that's probably a pretty good shot to get.

Matt, don't move.

That is now you with a fox on your back.

You look just like a rock, so I can

see why this would definitely be a good spot

for a fox to hang out and analyze the environment.

Here you go.

So that was you with a fox on your back.

Well done.

See, this is what it takes.

You just have to be in the enclosure for a while

and the more and more time we spend

here, the more and more comfortable

the fox is going to get.

All right, he's testing you out.

There's no cheese there, buddy.

Oh, likes my coat.

He's got something to nibble on.

Here, you want to play with my glove?

That's cool, right? Oh.

All right, there he goes.

He's got my glove.

Let's see what happens.

I only have one glove, and the odds

of me being able to get that glove back are not real good.

Uh-oh.

Uh-oh.

You see what's happening?

Rhett, my-- Oh, boy.

Rhett has taken my glove up and through the fox skyway,

and he's going to go up there and chew it up.

Rhett, I'm coming after you, buddy.

All right, here we go.

Going straight into fox mode.

And the good thing is that all this structure

is really well built, so it will definitely support my weight.

Oh, Rhett?

So this is the entryway.

I see Rhett.

He's up there with my glove.

I see you.

Do you still have my glove?

Oh, you're going all that way?

I knew it was going to be a game of cat and mouse.

Every time that I film with foxes, it's never easy.

OK, here we go.

Getting closer.

There he is, and I can definitely

see that he's no longer paying attention

to my glove, which means I might be able to get it back.

Here's my glove.

You see it?

It's right there.

How are you?

I see you.

I know.

Yeah, that's the camera.

I've come all the way into your--

no, now my hat.

Don't eat that.

No, no, no.

Look, he's trying to get my hat.

I see you, no.

Look who got their glove back.

Oh, I got it.

I got it.

I'm putting it back on my hand.

I had to get it back.

What else do you have up here?

This is definitely the kind of spot

where a fox would stash all its goodies.

We've got deer bones and pieces of fur.

Hi. How's it going?

You want to go back the other way,

and we'll get some cheese treats.

What do you think?

Would that be cool?

All right, bud, this way.

Come on.

We're going to make it.

I know, you're probably like what is this crazy Coyote guy

doing inside of my enclosure?

And I'm out.

How about that, Rhett?

Are you impressed?

A Coyote in the fox skyway.

How did I do?

Did I do good?

I think I did all right, OK, let's head back down.

He's definitely earned that cheese treat.

As you can see, I've got my glove back.

Here's what I'm going to do.

I'm going to put my glove in this pocket

so that you can't get it because I can clearly

see that at this point the gloves are

completely useless unless it's to get your attention.

Look at that.

Now, can you wait here for a second?

I'm going to go down there and give you

the cheese when you get down.

Ready?

Oh.

I guess we're going to go over the slide.

There you go.

Oh.

I mean, when you don't want to go through the slide,

I guess you go over the slide.

OK, so, Mario, you got your camera in a good position?

Yeah.

What I'm going to try to do is put my GoPro

at the bottom of the slide too.

I am so determined to get this fox to go down the slide.

All right, you know the routine.

Up here. OK.

What a good boy.

OK, there it is.

Oh, it's cheese.

Hold on a second, let's come this way.

I want you to go down the slide.

Ready?

Go down the slide.

Yes.

That was a fox going down the slide.

It's right there.

Get it.

Oh, what a good boy.

You did it.

You did it.

What a good fox.

Now when a fox lays down in the cold snow like this,

it's coat will completely keep it insulated,

and then it can wrap its tail around its body

to add even extra warmth.

You coming down again?

Come on, go for it.

Come on.

I got cheese.

That is the greatest thing I think any of us

have seen all day long, a fox going down a slide.

The big thing is that sometimes it just takes patience,

time and patience for these animals

to get completely comfortable.

Rhett was comfortable right from the get go, but as you can see,

Scarlett is getting more and more comfortable.

Oh, she can hear there's cheese in my pocket.

Here you go, sweetie.

Well, I would definitely say that as compared to the fox

videos we've filmed in the past, this experience with these two

frolicking foxes is without question

the best fox encounter we have ever captured on camera.

I'm Coyote Petersen, be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on the next adventure.

All right, you ready for some more cheese?

Let's see.

I think I've got one more piece.

I'm fairly certain that the chaotic nature of this episode

was clearly orchestrated by the foxes.

I told you at the start, they love to direct the scene.

And if I were to be honest, they did a great job.

They were definitely the best on camera foxes

we have ever worked with.

It's not hard to fall in love with a fox.

From their bushy coats to their black button noses,

everything about them screams cuteness overload.

Yet don't let the adorable facade fool you.

These animals do not make good pets.

I know, I'm destroying your hopes and dreams,

but I do have some good news.

If you want to have an up close encounter with Rhett

and Scarlett, all you need to do is visit the Colorado

Wolf and Wildlife Center.

For more information or to book the ultimate tour where you can

meet foxes and wolves in person, make

sure to visit their website.

I just out foxed a fox.

I put a GoPro right there where Scarlett likes to hang out.

She actually filmed herself, so that's pretty good.

Pretty clever, I think.

Look, here she goes.

She's smelling the GoPro.

In the past, I have made the attempt

to get up close with a red fox.

While filming our epic wolverine episode,

I worked alongside Steve Kroschel, who owns and operates

a renowned wildlife sanctuary that is home

to a number of native Alaskan species,

including this adorable little canine.

Nonetheless, getting a fox to sit still for the cameras

is nearly impossible.

Hey, Lupin, come on back here.

Today we are on location at the Everglades Outpost.

This rehabilitation facility provides medical care

and treatment to sick or injured animals,

and they currently have a resident red fox named Swiper,

who will provide me with a second chance

at getting this sly creature up close for the cameras.

All right, guys, we've seen this scenario before.

Coyote Peterson getting into an enclosure with a fox.

Last time, it didn't go so well.

Although the video was adorable, I

didn't manage to get real up close and personal

with the animal, so today we're going to hang out with Swiper.

Now he is a rescue, and from what I'm told,

he loves to play.

So if you guys are ready, let's enter and see

if we can get up close finally with a red fox.

Hi, Swiper.

There you are.

All right, guys, come on in.

Look at you up on the platform.

Hi.

Hi.

Hi.

Oh.

OK, so far, so good.

I just touched noses with the fox.

OK, I'm going to come over here.

I just want to give Swiper a minute

to get acclimated to me being in here and the cameras

being in here.

All right, come on up here.

You want to come up and play, want to hang out?

Come on up. Come on up.

Wow.

Much, much different than when we tried to work with the baby

fox in Alaska.

Let's see, can I give you a little head scratch?

Oh, there we go.

Now, the red fox is the largest of the fox species,

and one of the most widespread canines in the world.

You can find them on almost every continent.

Oh, what do you smell?

What do you smell?

Do I smell good?

You want to get inside my vest?

Want to get in there?

She's very curious right now.

I have a little something up my sleeve too.

There is a guarantee that this episode was

going to go according to plan.

Oh, she's trying to eat my hat.

Yeah, that's leather, isn't it?

OK, let's see if we can get a belly rub going here.

Oh, yeah, that's nice, huh?

Look at how handsome that fox is.

Now the red fox despite, being called the red fox

can come in various different colors,

from this beautiful copper red color to even white

and almost--

Oh, she got the--

That's not the first time that's happened.

It happened again.

This is a very common thing.

Animals for some reason love the microphone muffs,

and now Swiper has literally swiped the microphone muff.

As you can see, he's got some other little toys in here.

You know, Swiper, we're going to need that back, buddy.

We're going to need that back.

It kind of matches your tail.

It looks like a little silver fox.

No, no, don't eat the rubber.

Here, let me just go ahead and take that back from you.

Listen to that squealing.

He's like, that's my toy.

He doesn't even own a mic.

Oh man.

He does not want to give that microphone fluffy back.

Now, I would imagine that he is thinking,

OK, maybe it's a squirrel.

As we know, red foxes are incredible hunters,

voracious predators.

They primarily feast on rodents, but even something the size

of a rabbit is fair game.

And I have a feeling that microphone muffs

aren't exactly high in protein.

Get it.

Get it.

Aren't exactly high in protein, but--

oh, let me get it.

Let me get it.

He really does not want to give it back.

There we go.

Let's take a look at the leaping ability.

Watch this.

OK, there you go.

Are we just not going to acknowledge

the giant zebra behind you?

There is a zebra.

Well, yeah, there's also a zebra right there.

Now, we are working today at the Everglades Outpost, which

is a wildlife sanctuary for rescued

and rehabilitating animals, and Swiper is

actually one of those animals.

Now, Swiper was raised in captivity,

but unfortunately, his owner got to the point

where he wasn't able to take care of Swiper anymore

and he ended up here.

The red fox does not make a good pet.

Now while they are very gregarious,

they will oftentimes scent mark all over a house.

They love to dig.

They love to rip things up.

What you guys can't actually smell through the camera

right now is there is a very distinct musky type

odor in this enclosure, almost like the musk of a skunk

or wolverine, even though foxes are

not related to mustelidaes--

Mark, he's coming up next to you there.

I see that.

They do constantly scent mark, and it has a very

strong, pungent smell in here.

Definitely not something that you would want the inside

of your house to smell like.

I'd say like a tinge of a skunk.

Yeah, it's like a skunk meets a bad fart, maybe a wet boot.

It's OK in the moment, but you definitely

wouldn't want your bedroom smelling like a red fox.

OK, look at this.

Mario, go ahead and point at Swiper's tail here.

Look at the tail.

Can I look at your tail?

I just want to see your tail.

It so bushy.

It's the bushiest tail ever.

What I love about the fox is how its tail is

almost as fluffy as its body.

And in the winter, when it gets cold, as they nestle down

in their den, they will actually wrap their body in that tail

to keep themselves warm.

Come here. I know.

Let's see. Let me see.

Come here.

Oh, gosh, he's like why did you take

that microphone muff from me?

Swiper really didn't want to give that up.

Swiper did not want to give that up.

Let's see, what do you got here?

Is that your duck?

Swiper, look, it's a duck.

Come here.

Hey, what are you doing?

Swiper.

What's that?

Is that fox talk?

Yeah, they have so many different vocalizations,

squeaks, chirps, little barks.

The fox is one of the most vocal of any canine species.

Just kind of hanging out behind me, isn't it?

Yeah.

OK, what if I turn like this, and you come right here.

Let's see.

Well, I will say this much.

I am having a much better experience, a much closer

relationship with this fox than we were with a baby fox

in Alaska.

Here she comes. Lupin.

She's very excited to have us in here.

Come here.

Come here you.

Oh, yeah, get my arm. Get it.

Get it.

He's really trying to get my hat.

There we go.

Get the arm bite going.

Just playful bites.

Oh, there we go.

We'll get you on the belly rub there.

Wow.

Let's see.

You want to come inside my vest?

What's in there, huh?

What is it?

What is it?

You want to get onto my back?

Getting a back rub?

This actually feels great.

This is a back scratch from a red fox,

and it's probably valuable to note that foxes

are incredible diggers.

They will oftentimes dig burrows to live in.

They can also dig little mice or voles out from the ground.

And if it lives in your house, it will definitely dig holes

in your couch, which again is another reason that the red fox

does not make a good pet.

The red fox is an extremely elusive animal.

Oftentimes, you'll find them in residential areas.

They come out and primarily hunting

or foraging for food at night.

Every once in a while, you're lucky enough to see a fox.

I've only seen a handful of them my entire life.

Look at you.

I know, you're so cute.

So cute.

Here we go.

Trying to bite at my watch.

Very sharp claws, perfect for digging.

Little black paws, perfect for walking over the top of snow.

And unlike wolves and coyotes, they

do not have a pack mentality.

You'll often notice that foxes are completely solitary.

Ow.

The only time that you will see foxes

together is actually during breeding season

or if it's a mother taking care of kits.

Those are happy sounds, right?

Those are happy sounds.

Yeah, she's just playing.

You see those little bites there?

Just playful bites.

OK, I got you.

Well, how cool was this?

I finally managed to get up close with the red fox.

I'm Coyote Petersen, be brave.

Whoa.

Stay wild.

We'll see on the next adventure.

All right, Swiper, we'll see you later, buddy.

The red fox is a seldomly seen predator that does its best

to avoid human interaction.

If you get the chance to see one in the wild,

your encounter will likely be nothing

more than a fleeting moment.

So consider the sighting something special

because getting up close with a fox

is much more difficult than you may think.

Tell you what, guys, nothing brings

in the red fox like a little bit of pocket bacon.

You cheater.

Leftovers from breakfast, works every time.