Red Fox Kit Playing Along Misty Game Trail

Grey dawn light falls through a steady rain to coat the ferns and moss along a winding game trail in Victoria. A red fox kit, its fur darkened by moisture, crouches low among the wet vegetation. Raindrops rest on the tip of its tail and the edges of its ears. The kit’s posture is tense and alert, muscles coiled as it pivots toward the misty distance. Behind the small predator, the trail curves into a dense thicket of Douglas fir and salal. The ground glistens with pooled water reflecting the pale sky. One raindrop slides from a hanging leaf onto a patch of vibrant green moss near the kit's paw.