Local photographer Simone Heinrich found this furry friend at Maligne Lake recently.

Red foxes are part of the dog family. In the Rockies, red foxes are solitary during late fall and winter, living without dens in home ranges of 3.5-8.5 km-square, according to naturalist Ben Gadd’s Handbook of the Canadian Rockies.

A large part of a Red Fox’s diet consists of small rodents dug out from under the snow. They may also supplement their nutritional needs with birds, snowshoe hares and, when available, carrion from left-over wolf kills.

Foxes are nocturnal, which is possibly why this one was caught snoozing midday. Babies, known as whelps or kits, are typically born in late April and early May, after gestating 51-53 days. The usual litter is five.

Gadd notes that foxes are seldom reported in the Rockies, making this sighting even more special. Consider yourself fortunate to be spotting a Maligne Lake Red Fox through the lens of photographer Simone Heinrich. Like Simone’s work? Follow her Instagram account and consider buying a print!