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YOU SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD..... This vole tries to escape a fox, which seems to be toying with it in the snow. The cross fox's antics with the vole took place in Hokkaido, Japan. Hiroki Inoue said, "From my observations of Ezo red and cross foxes, they often seem to treat voles not as a food source but as a target for practicing their hunting skills or as a plaything. I have rarely seen them eating voles. When they encounter a vole, they tend to chase it around, leave it alone for a while, and then pounce on the fleeing vole again, pinning it down with their paws. Sometimes, they injure the vole by biting it to slow it down, then pick it up and toss it into the air. It’s as if they’re “toying” with the vole. After tormenting it for some time, they often lose interest, leave the dying vole behind, and walk away without eating it." "In this particular instance, the cross fox seemed to lose interest in the motionless vole and began walking away. However, the vole suddenly started running in the same direction as the fox, which explains why the fox’s gaze wasn’t directed at the vole in some shots. It saw this as more of a “game” than an actual hunt. Of course, a moving vole is an irresistible target for their “hunting game,” so the fox caught it again and continued to play with it, pinning it down, tossing it, and eventually carrying it into the snow covered field." "After becoming bored with the slow-moving vole, the fox began tossing it around in its mouth as part of its play. Unfortunately, the vole eventually became motionless, and at that point, the fox ate it. This behaviour is somewhat unusual because, while Ezo red foxes enjoy eating Ezo field mice, they rarely consume voles." Please byline: Hiroki Inoue/Solent News © Hiroki Inoue/Solent News & Photo Agency UK +44 (0) 2380 458800 *** Local Caption *** Dear Simon, Thank you for your questions. Here is my response regarding why the cross fox wasn’t always looking at the vole: I believe the reason the cross fox wasn’t consistently focused on the vole during the chase is that this was more of a “game” than an actual hunt. From my observations of Ezo red foxes (including cross foxes), they often seem to treat voles not as a food source but as a target for practicing their hunting skills or as a plaything. In fact, I have rarely seen them eating voles. When they encounter a vole, they tend to chase it around, leave it alone for a while, and then pounce on the fleeing vole again, pinning it down with their paws. Sometimes, they injure the vole by biting it to slow it down, then pick it up and toss it into the air. It’s as if they’re “toying” with the vole. After tormenting it for some time, they often lose interest, leave the dying vole behind, and walk away without eating it. In this particular instance, the cross fox seemed to lose interest in the motionless vole and began walking away. However, the vole suddenly started running in the same direction as the fox, which explains why the fox’s gaze wasn’t directed at the vole in some shots. Of course, a moving vole is an irresistible target for their “hunting game,” so the fox caught it again and continued to play with it—pinning it down, tossing it, and eventually carrying it into the snowfield. After becoming bored with the slow-moving vole, the fox began tossing it around in its mouth as part of its play. Unfortunately, the vole eventually became motionless, and at that point, the fox ate it. This behavior is somewhat unusual because, while Ezo red foxes enjoy eating Ezo field mice, they rarely consume voles. I hope this provides the clarity you were looking for. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. I apologize for my poor English explanation. 　 Best regards, Hiroki Inoue