What the fox says
Editor’s Note: Of course Golden Gate Bird Alliance is focused on birds! But we love all kinds of wildlife… and can’t resist Joe Galkowski’s beautiful mammal photos and stories. Like this one about our local gray foxes.
By Joe Galkowski
What does the fox say?
I don’t understand pop culture. In 2013, a Norwegian comedy team named Ylvis, set out to make the world’s worst music video. They paired a ridiculous song with professionally crafted electronic dance music and then added just a touch of chaos to the mix. The result was three minutes of insanity called “The Fox” or “What Does the Fox Say?”
The song, which poses the question of what sound a fox makes, was supposed to be a joke. It surprised everyone by becoming a huge pop hit, bringing Ylvis international fame and money. To date, this YouTube video has nearly 875 million views.
I suspect that very few of these viewers were truly curious about fox vocalizations, or what the fox really says. Nature nerd that I am, I did wonder. Last month, I finally got my answer. The fox says, “grrrrrr!”
While hiking down a dirt road in a nearby park, I happened to glance behind me. I was shocked to see a gray fox following me from about a hundred yards behind. Sensing a rare opportunity to get a closeup of these elusive animals, I quickly sat down at the side of the road and waited for the fox to approach. And approach it did. When it got close enough to be photographed, I took a few frames. The fox froze at the sound of the shutter, clearly not happy, but then continued walking right to me. I did not take any more shots as I did not want to stress him. I just sat still as the fox walked up to me, passing within three feet of where I was sitting.
Once it got a few steps behind my back, it stopped. It stared at me for maybe ten seconds, and then finally said “grrrrrrr”. The growl was exactly like any dog growl I have ever heard. The fox then casually stepped into the grasses on the side of the road and vanished from view. It returned to the road about three minutes later, with a large rodent in its mouth. Its hunt successful, it strolled back up the road. This time without even a glance in my direction.
Of the dozen times I have seen gray fox, this was the first time I ever heard them make a sound. I now know that not only do gray fox growl, they yap, bark, and make a screaming sound that carries a long distance. They are not loud animals, but they do answer the question clearly for those who are willing to listen, leaving no mystery at all as to what the fox says.
