What? Fox?

Yes, the small creature that was seen and photographed on campus was a Red Fox...not a giant rat, not a wolf and certainly not a "Sal'awa"!!

What Is the Red Fox?

One of the most widespread and successful mammals of the Canidae family in the world (which includes also dogs, jackals, wolves and other fox species). It is a small animal, smaller than a dog yet somewhat larger than a cat, that feeds on insects, rodents, small farm animals and some vegetables and fruits. The subspecies we have in Egypt, Vulpes vulpes aegyptiaca, is actually not so red, but mostly greyish-brown with large ears as seen in the picture on the right (photo by Adel Taher, 1995) and bushy, white-tipped tails. Foxes are mostly nocturnal but, as we have seen at AUC, they can sometimes be seen in broad daylight. In Egypt, they are found extensively in the Delta, along the northern Red Sea coast, in Kharga, Dakhla, Al-Fayoum, along the north coast from Salloum to Alexandria, south in the Nile Valley, in and around Cairo, and in other places as well.

Do I Have Anything to Fear From Foxes?

Well, unless you have a poorly-fenced poultry farm, and as long as you don't try to corner a frightened fox, not at all... Foxes are wary of humans and avoid them, but will raid poultry farms at dusk if they find a way in. The reputation of foxes in Egypt as cunning, deceitful, evil creatures is an undeserved myth - simply stories told to children to scare them into behaving that stay embedded in their minds as they grow up. In fact, rather than worrying about it or calling security, just watch the creature and be happy to have the privilege of wildlife so close to you in the city.

References

The Fox Website. http://www.thefoxwebsite.org/

Hoath, Richard (2003). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt. The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo.