Elusive white-footed vixens rear their pups in hidden burrows of the Little Rann of Kutch
Text by: Sustain Team
Photos by: Dhritiman Mukherjee
Elusive white-footed vixens rear their pups in hidden burrows of the Little Rann of Kutch
The Little Rann of Kutch is a triangular block of land located at the tip of the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat. Flanked by Kutch district on one side and Surendranagar district on the other, it covers an area of roughly 5,000 sq. km. It is largely barren, save for clumps of desert flora. According to UNESCO, “It is a vast, desiccated, unbroken, bare surface of dark silt, encrusted with salt, which transforms into a spectacular coastal wetland after the rains.”
The Little Rann is both barren desert and thriving wetland. For most of the year, the rann — meaning salt marsh in Gujarati — is an expansive landscape with seemingly endless visibility, and an ethereal silvery glow. But for a few months every year, during the monsoon, parts of the landscape holds shallow waterbodies that attract a number of bird species, including flamingos, ducks, waders, and raptors. Bustards live on dry land while vultures avoid open sheets of water as they cannot land on water.
Besides seasonal visitors, the Little Rann hosts a diversity of residential species, ranging from snakes and scorpions to striped hyenas and the wild ass. The roster of residents includes the white-footed fox or desert fox (Vulpes vulpes pusilla), one of three subspecies of red foxes found in India. The other two are the Himalayan red fox (Vulpes vulpes montana) and the Kashmiri red fox (Vulpes vulpes griffithi). Their geographical ranges do not overlap.
The desert fox inhabits parts of India, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq. In India, it has been spotted in Rajasthan and Gujarat, most notably in the Wild Ass Sanctuary, Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, and Desert National Park. Wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee made these images in the Little Rann of Kutch over many trips, and many years. “On one particular trip, I spent 28 days observing a single fox den,” he remembers. “Every morning, I would leave the hotel, drive up until a certain point, and then walk to the burrow site.”
Desert foxes are notoriously elusive. “When disturbed, they run 50-100 m, stop, look at the intruder, and run again,” says Dr Asad Rahmani, author, conservationist, and the former Director of Bombay Natural History Society. “If satisfied that the intruder means no harm, it sits down as if nothing has happened, often yawns disdainfully, and resumes foraging.”
In summer, temperatures in the Little Rann can go to 40 degrees Celsius, while in winter the mercury drops as low as 10 degrees C. “They deal with extreme temperatures behaviourally and temporally,” says Rahmani. “The desert fox is most active at dawn and dusk, but in winter it can be seen hunting at mid-day.” On extremely hot days, says Rahmani, they remain underground, and during cold winter nights, they huddle, curled up in burrows or under bushes. Cover photo: The desert fox has light coloured paws and a tuft of white fur at the tip of its tail.
When it comes to dietary matters, the desert fox is extremely inclusive, and will eat almost anything. According to a study on the fox’s feeding habits in Rajasthan (by Vigil Wilson and Sumit Dookia), fruits comprise about 28 per cent of their diet, followed by, insects (19 per cent), mammals (17 per cent), reptiles (7 per cent), birds (3 per cent) and arachnids (less than 1 per cent). Their research paper states that since the remains of large domestic animals were found in their scat, on occasion, they must also be scavenging.
The broad nature of their diet is one of the reasons naturalists believe the species is so widespread. “The desert fox is a very adaptable and opportunistic species,” explains Rahmani. “It can eat berries of Zizyphus (ber) and salvadora, fruits, dung beetle, grasshoppers, large spiders, scorpions, earthworms, lizards, small birds, rodents, hare, and even baby chinkara. It also scavenges if it finds a dead animal.” Foxes, like this adult female, are frequently seen chewing on bones, which presumably keeps their teeth in good health.
The desert fox lives in burrows, often under large bushes and trees, near rocks, and around abandoned salt pan sites. “The landscape of the Kutch is barren and very flat, with endless visibility,” says Mukherjee. “The abandoned salt pans have areas that are dug up, so there are piles of soil, which gives the burrow some cover.” Desert foxes, like other animals may “usurp burrows dug up by hedgehogs and porcupines, and alter it to their requirements,” says Rahmani.
Desert foxes in the Little Rann of Kutch breed between December and January. Males chase vixens before pairing takes place. Then the couple jointly prepares the burrows, with multiple openings to provide exit routes in case of attack. Foxes often have more than one burrow during nesting season. Around February-March, before the summer unleashes its fury, females give birth to a litter of two to six pups.
Desert fox pups are born blind, are entirely dependent on their mother for nourishment, and remain in the den for the first few weeks of their life. “Males generally hang around the den to safeguard it,” says Rahmani. “and to provide food to the female when she has given birth. After a few days, both go out hunting, leaving the little ones inside the den.”
When they’re about one month old the pups gradually start leaving burrow to explore the world around them. They soak in the sun, walk around a little bit, but dart back in the den at the slightest sound or movement. Mothers staying near the burrow’s entrance or observe the pups from a bush nearby. Adults bring food to the young. “I have seen them bringing gerbil, hoopoe lark, and rodents,” says Mukherjee. “The hoopoe lark is a ground-nesting bird and the foxes sometimes snatch the bird’s chicks for their own youngs.”
At first, the pups stay within a few feet of the burrow’s entrance, but soon progress to going further and spending more time frolicking, play-fighting, and mock-hunting with their siblings and adults. Some researchers say this behaviour is training of sorts, and that playful fighting is the way for young foxes to understand dominance.
Desert foxes take good care of their burrows, constantly cleaning, modifying, enlarging, and adding new escape routes. “Many species do not reuse the same burrow as ectoparasites such as ticks develop,” explains Rahmani. “But in case the habitat quality is not good, the same burrow may be used year after year after cleaning it.” During breeding and parenting season, desert foxes have multiple burrows, and change the location of the litter several times to keep their pups safe.
Like most predators, desert foxes are territorial by nature. Males defend their territory fiercely, particularly during breeding season and food scarcity periods. “They mark territories with urine and pheromones, to indicate that the area is occupied, and trespassers are not welcome,” says Rahmani. “Territorial fights are frequent, but unlike human beings, they generally do not kill each other!”
Despite their wide presence, the desert fox faces many threats. The chief threat is free-ranging dogs that subsist on human excess and garbage, and whose numbers are increasing across the country. “The other biggest threats, besides dogs, are habitat destruction and poaching for meat and skin,” says Rahmani. “If poaching is controlled, desert foxes can survive in many more areas.”
About the contributors
Sustain Team
We are a driven group of people from diverse backgrounds, bound by an abiding love for India’s natural world.
is one of India's most prolific wildlife and conservation photographers. His work has been featured in leading publications. He is also a RoundGlass Ambassador, and an RBS Earth Hero awardee.
