The time eventually comes for us all to shuffle off this mortal coil and go to whatever waits for us beyond the curtain.
This applies to animals as well and I am sorry to say that I believe my brave pal Hopalong, a foxy visitor to my garden since late October, has hopped off on three legs for the final time.
I feel sure that he has crossed the burning rainbow bridge to the Vulpine Valhalla where he can sleep during the day and come out at night to hunt people dressed in red coats and jodhpurs.
The video above is one that might explain how Hopalong survived for so long, I first noticed he had a limp late October/early November and from then on it seemed to get worse and worse until the lower section of his rear leg was useless as it just dangled as he walked.
These two videos show that he appears to have a friend who kept an eye on him. This fox still visits the garden but I have not seen Hopalong since these videos were taken, in late January,.
Hopalong’s friend, and another fox I call Scaredycat, still visit my garden and for all I know they might be joined by others. Maybe they will partner up, if they haven’t already done so, and will bring their cubs to show them a regular feeding spot,
I hope so and I hope their parents will tell them of brave Hopalong who survived for three months in the winter with the use of only three legs.
I’ll have to finish off the new feeding station for the hedgehogs in the next couple of days as they’ll need some feeding up after their winter sleep.
Robin's Nest 