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In the wild, animals don’t have much time to form bonds, especially not those that are of different species. But there is one particular fox that seems to enjoy having dinner with his best pal, a hedgehog. The meeting place is in Lucy Goacher’s back garden, where they each have a bowl of food waiting for them. Many native foxes have been forced to adapt to the urban life, so Lucy is accustomed to visits from these furry and spiky friends.
Let’s check out how it all started and why these two pals are so famous!
20. Scavengers in the City
Many people see foxes as pests. They come to scavenge for food and don’t make a good impression. Add the rabies factor to the whole deal, and you’ve got yourself a dangerous and unwanted animal. But Goacher realized that these creatures deserved a chance…
19. Fox Visitors
‘My family and I have had fox visitors for years, but like a lot of people we believed they were dangerous creatures and that they’d be a danger to our cats,’ said Goacher. Then, two years ago, she changed her perspective. This is what she said.
18. The Regular Four Foxes
‘A few years ago we realized how gentle they really are,’ explained Goacher. She then said that it’d been two years since she and her parents have been feeding the local foxes. Now, they have ‘four regulars.’
17. Feed the Foxes, Said Wildlife Officials
Foxes have a tough life with the human development in England, so many people leave food and water outside for them, and even the wildlife officials encourage it. As long as everything gets cleaned up after that, it’s not a health hazard! And the experience itself…
16. Amazing Experience
Goacher might have been the food provider, but in exchange, she snapped some amazing photos and filmed their encounters. There was even one fox that would tap at the door to get some food. This is what she said about the little furry friend…
15. ‘Tappy Perplexed!’
One fox would come to their door when the bowls are empty, and she taps on the glass. But one day, the woman opened the door, and Tappy was stunned: ‘We’ve got the patio door wide open today, so Tappy perplexed!”
14. The Friendly Fox
Every night, the foxes come for dinner. But a few weeks ago, someone else found out that someone was offering free food. A little hungry hedgehog joined the squad. Some foxes were not pleased, but one of them was more courageous!
13. Waiting For His Turn
In the beginning, the hedgehog waited to get his food after the foxes were done with eating. Eventually, he took a chance and went to eat first. Goacher was shocked and waiting to see what happens: ‘He marched straight through the assembled foxes and started on a bowl.’ And then…
12. This Is My Bowl
Goacher said that she ‘was terrified they’d attack him.’ Fortunately, the foxes ‘just looked at him with curiosity, like they couldn’t believe his boldness, and they left him alone to munch away.’ Here’s what the foxes do as this spikey newcomer has his fill…
11. The Hoggo
The woman named the newcomer Hoggo, and she said that he would ‘happily eat alongside the foxes.’ However, they’re not happy about it, so a ‘couple will sit on the grass, glaring as the VIP guest munches its way through bowl after bowl.’ But then, the most amazing thing happened!
10. Their Time to Wait
As the roles changed and the foxes waited for their turns, Goacher realized that even if he’s small, ‘the Hoggo runs the joint!’ His approach worked, and now he’s getting his own bowl of food. Then, one of the foxes gathered more courage…
9. Breaking the Ice
It always takes a step forward to break the ice, so the hedgehog didn’t mind when a friendlier fox approached him to eat next to him. ‘He’s very happy to eat beside the hedgehog,’ said Goacher. And this is how the friendship blossomed!
8. Dinner Date
The woman was more than pleased to take videos and photos of the pair and post her amazing experience on Facebook. And as you can imagine, her story went viral in just a few days. Everyone melted as they watched photos of these two guys eating from the same bowl!
7. An Odd Pair
This might seem like an odd friendship, but it comes with its perks. The fox gets its full before the other not so friendly foxes, and the hedgehog has an ally that would ward off predators that could get close. It’s a win-win situation!
6. Foxes Are Amazing
Goacher concludes in one of her Facebook posts that ‘foxes are wonderful, gentle creatures, and don’t deserve the bad reputation they’ve been lumbered with. I hope this post helps to prove that.’
5. A Beautiful Story
This amazing story began with her act of kindness toward wild animals that happened to visit her garden. Meanwhile, she has had numerous funny encounters, and she was also the witness of a weird friendship. This is what she said…
4. United By the Mutual Love of Free Food
Goacher said that Hoggo and the friendly fox are ‘united by their mutual love of free and plentiful food. Something that can be said for most humans too, I imagine.’ Then, one night, this happened.
3. Testing Different ‘Recipes’
One night, Goacher put out sausages for the foxes. Then, you can imagine that the fox came, grabbed a whole bunch of them and ran off: ‘okay, so giving the foxes sausages was the best idea Jane and I have ever had.’
2. A Jealous Fox
In one of her close-ups with Hoggo, she wrote ‘someone in the background is rather jealous…’ At the back of the photo, a fox is patiently waiting for its turn. In the next photo, the woman’s ‘rare shot of the whole squad’ melted our hearts!
1. Four Foxes and a Hedgehog
Goacher thought that the hedgehog would be in danger, or avoid the foxes, but she never expected to see them eat dinner together. With a little hope and plenty of food, both the hedgehog and the foxes get to live in harmony! The cat also keeps Hoggo company from time to time.
Silvia
