For nearly a decade, Dora Nightingale has been a passionate advocate for foxes, dedicated to ensuring these remarkable animals receive the respect they deserve.
As the founder of Fox Guardians, Nightingale’s mission is to educate others about foxes and inspire a compassionate attitude toward these lovable creatures.
Since establishing Fox Guardians, her garden has become a sanctuary for the local foxes—a place where they can find refuge, relax, and thrive.
Among these frequent visitors is a beautiful fox named Babybelle.
Image source: Fox Guardians
Babybelle has been a regular guest in Nightingale’s garden for over two years, and everyone now considers her part of the family.
One day, however, Nightingale noticed Babybelle behaving unusually. The fox was standing vigil in front of an old dog house in the yard, refusing to leave her post no matter what.
Curious, Nightingale decided to investigate and discovered the sweetest surprise.
“I went out to feed the birds and spotted the tiny cubs wiggling in the shelter,” Nightingale shared with The Dodo.
Nightingale suspects that Babybelle’s original nest may have been destroyed, prompting the protective mother to seek a safer place for her babies.
In all her years running Fox Guardians, Nightingale had never encountered a situation quite like this, so she sought advice from wildlife rescuers and a vet.
Typically, fox cubs are kept hidden away, so the experts advised Nightingale to monitor Babybelle and her cubs closely, trusting that the mother knew what she was doing.
And Babybelle did not disappoint!
Image source: Fox Guardians
“The footage showed that mum visited the cubs every two hours to nurse and groom them, and then after sunset, she carried each cub, one by one, to a new den near my garden,” Nightingale explained.
Despite the challenges of transporting all five cubs—especially having to jump over a fence each time—this determined mother did everything necessary to ensure her litter’s safety.
Watching Babybelle grow into such a devoted mother filled Nightingale with immense pride.
Image source: Fox Guardians
“People comment on what an honor it is that a wild animal trusts me so much to place her precious babies in my garden, knowing they will be safe from harm. And I agree, it is so touching and I am honored and absolutely delighted that the little old dog kennel played an important part in potentially saving the lives of the extremely vulnerable five cubs,” Nightingale said.
Image source: Fox Guardians
For Nightingale, being a fox guardian for nearly a decade has been an indescribable experience.
She wants everyone to know that if a fox family chooses your yard as a temporary home, it’s important to let them be.
“Foxes play a vital role in our ecosystem, and they need a place to live. With natural habitats shrinking, consider sharing your wild space with a fox family for a while. The cubs will eventually disperse in late summer.
In the meantime, enjoy the show—it’s like having a live Disney movie unfold on your lawn!” Nightingale concluded.
