Words and Photos By Gretchen Kay Stuart
Last June, a routine patrol by a Meadow Rover, (a volunteer who educates visitors about the fragile wildflower meadows at Mount Rainier National Park), resulted in the discovery of three Cascade red fox kits. At approximately two months old, these vulnerable pups belonged to the first active den found within park boundaries since 2017. To shield them from the dangers of human crowds and food-conditioning, the National Park Service took immediate action, establishing a protective closure around the den site.
In my sixth year of field efforts dedicated to studying this elusive subspecies, this was a dream scenario. As part of a science team, I had access to monitor the den site, allowing me to conduct daily in-depth observations of Cascade red fox kit rearing. While I am saving the most exciting findings for future posts, today, I would like to introduce you to the three adorable kits at the heart of this story.
Left to right: 2B, Loner, Sunny
The Cross-Phase Male: In my field notes, I initially called this distinctive kit “Cross.” But during a Q&A I held with park Rangers, the perfect name was suggested: Sunny. It suited him wonderfully, and the name stuck.
The Two Black-Phase Sisters: We believe two kits are females due to the ability to zoom in on high resolution photos.
One sister has slightly lighter markings on her belly. I gave her the temporary name "Loner" because I often found her at a separate den entrance from her siblings—perhaps a clever strategy to spread the risk if a predator were to discover them.
The other sister, whom I logged as "2B" (for 2nd black kit), was the bold explorer of the family. Her insatiable curiosity quickly won me over and I developed a special fondness for her emerging personality.
Official naming of the sisters is still to come. I hope the honor will go to the incredible team of Meadow Rovers who diligently stood guard at trailheads for this fox family over the most sensitive months of their development.
The male cross-phase kit and his sister, 2B.
To ensure my presence did not disrupt their natural behavior, my observations were made from a blind at a distance using a long lens. This allowed me to witness the fox family’s authentic world without obvious disturbance.
This is just the beginning of the story. Stay tuned for more den discoveries in upcoming posts!