thephotosocietyさんのインスタグラム写真 - (thephotosocietyInstagram)「Photograph by @andyparkinsonphoto/@thephotosociety Red fox cub – Last night, for the first time in about 3 weeks I finally saw my fox cubs again. They had grown significantly and whilst it’s particularly disappointing not to have been able to spend more time with them so far this year it is if nothing else a salient reminder about the challenges of working with such secretive, elusive and highly intelligent animals. I only saw two of them but I feel confident that all four are still doing well, thriving in their little quiet corner of a friendly landowners field, exploring their new world and readying for their own journey into adulthood and independence. The fox cub in this image however, captured last year, was not born into such favourable conditions and his future was a lot less certain. A mindless landowner, raised on a diet of hate, ignorance and prejudice was the ‘custodian’ of this foxes home, a landowner who would often venture into that secluded looking for things to shoot for fun. When I questioned him one day as to what his target might be he simply shrugged, the grunted response of ‘whatever I see’ typical of his particular breed of inbred thuggishness. That these kinds of people are even allowed to own such lethal force, free to be used so indiscriminately makes a mockery of the notion that the UK is a land of animal lovers. So many of us of course actually are, in this image we see only innocence, a precious life that should be protected and nurtured, to grow in freedom to adulthood and to play its vital role in the ecology of our landscape. For those who have watched puppies at play then the same applies to fox cubs, the same family, the same ancestry, the same evolutionary journey. One species however is rightly protected by law, invited into our homes as companions, friends and members of the family. Their cousins however are not so fortunate, labelled contemptuously as vermin, their lives seemingly worth nothing, their suffering ceremonialized by horse-backed perverts dressed in red. Well I saw value in your life little fox cub, I saw your beauty, your innocence and I cherish the brief moment where I was privileged to be in your company.」6月22日 12時24分