I was walking through my neighborhood in southwest Ohio this morning (about fifteen miles east of Cincinnati) when I saw this fellow loping down the sidewalk.
I at first thought: coyote, as we’ve been known to get those from time to time.
Then I realized that it really looks more like a red fox.
***
Two problems with this theory, though:
Red foxes, while native to Ohio, are rarely seen in broad daylight. Secondly, there is something wrong with the tail.
My best guess at this point is that it is a fox afflicted with mange (a disease caused by mites). If that’s the case, I hope the animal recovers.
***
I grew up here in the Cincinnati area during the 1970s and 1980s. Throughout my childhood, it was rare to see a “wild animal” in the suburbs.
Now wild animals are everywhere: deer, raptors, coyotes, foxes, you name it.
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