For much of the year, these fluffy black tipped ears
are difficult to spot in the wild.
That's because red foxes are mostly nocturnal.
But there are times of the year
when they're more active during the day.
Between May and July,
when their cubs are born,
they provide daily insight into their busy lives.
A fox's life is quite adventurous,
especially at the beginning.
So, let's take a look at their first year on earth.
Under this pine tree,
there's a hidden underground nursery.
For years, a Fox mother has been raising her cubs in this den under the roots.
And now, there's a new litter on the way.
She's not alone.
Mid-March is the peak time for fox births.
The average litter size is four or five.
Fox cubs can't eat meat right away.
Instead, they're suckled for their first weeks.
Milk is all they get.
The cubs are born deaf
and their eyes stay shut until they're 2 weeks old.
They're also unable to thermo regulate themselves.
Despite their fluffy baby fur, they need their mother's warmth.
For the first few weeks,
the vixen spends most of her time with the cubs.
Fox parents normally raise their young together.
This mother is on her own,
but luckily she's able to profit
from her eagle neighbor's hunting skills.
The fox cubs are now 2 weeks old
and there are just 2 left out of 5.
They're not yet allowed to leave the den,
so their priority is to cuddle sleep lots
and grow fast.
In late spring, the cubs emerge above ground.
They're 4 weeks old now,
and this is their very first excursion out of the den.
They're always under watchful eyes
and are only allowed to stay out for a short time,
but they definitely enjoy it.
There's nothing they won't try out, sniff or nibble at.
When the little ones doze off after a new adventure,
their mother can relax.
Unless disturbed, cubs stay in their burrow until early June,
though they may abandon it earlier in hot weather.
They're now old enough to start fighting over access to food.
And sometimes the winner isn't that clear.
But no matter who's the victor, both have learned from their mother
that they should carry their food away quickly to somewhere safe.
When the summer sun is high in the sky,
the cubs extend their outdoor adventures a little more.
They start to forage for themselves.
They tend to go for easy to catch prey,
such as insects and earthworms,
while slowly developing their hunting skills.
They still don't recognize much easy prey,
but they already know how to avoid becoming prey themselves.
In late summer, the cubs start their first high mountain expedition.
It's a chance to get familiar with future prey,
though right now they're far from being a threat to marmots.
They even start to play with their furry neighbors.
But the marmots are skeptical.
Playing with middle schoolers is not permitted.
The two foxes finally get the message.
They aren't welcome in this marmot club.
High up in the mountains, it's getting colder
and the foxes use the time to grow new winter coats
in preparation for the snowy season.
Now it's time to make it through winter.
The young foxes start to actively patrol their territory.
Although red foxes are born deaf, they soon develop excellent hearing.
They pick up low frequency sounds very well,
which enables them as carnivores to catch animals,
even underground or beneath a massive load of snow.
Besides foraging, the Fox siblings are on the lookout for other foxes.
If they find a potential partner, they'll travel together.
In January, the mating season will start
and the dens beneath the pine trees
will be filled with new fox cubs again.
The Alps are one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in Europe,
and beside foxes there are many more amazing species
that call them home.
Check out our winter in the Alps video
and follow them through winter.