Waiting for traffic

[danalwyn]

As I was driving through the lab to the High Rise this morning, I came across what appeared to be a Gray Fox calmly waiting for traffic to pass. This is somewhat a rare sighting at the lab; I've only seen one once before. He seemed polite enough at least.

Of course, if I was a small, vulnerable predator hanging around close to a herd of buffalo, I would be on my best behavior too.

Comments

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

Foxes are extremely clever and versatile, and know how to be patient. That's why they're generally highly successful at surviving alongside humans.

As I was driving through the lab

Does this mean you've purchased the vehicle you were contemplating? What did you end up getting, if you don't mind my asking?

[danalwyn.livejournal.com]

It seemed to be trying to put a great deal of distance between itself and the buffalo, which amused me. I don't think the buffalo really cared.

See next post for car stuff.

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

Nervousness on the part of the fox was entirely justified. I worked on a study for a while that involved ungulates and we regularly found the remains of small animals that had ventured to close or been too unwary crossing enclosures. Identification was based on tiny bits of bone or tufts of fur, because the deer and elk literally ground rabbits, foxes, and coyotes into little unidentifiable smears in the pasture grass.

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

There are herds of buffalo in Illinois?

[danalwyn.livejournal.com]

There's one at Fermilab. It stays on the farm and is rather placid for the most part.

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see them now (http://www.fnal.gov/pub/about/campus/ecology/wildlife/bison.html).

That's oddly ... wonderful.

[danalwyn.livejournal.com]

They have calves every once in a while who are strikingly orange. That gets people to come look at them even from those who live in Fermilab.