How do foxes protect their young ones?

Answer 1

A home range is typically occupied by breeding male, a breeding female and their cubs. Often a second non-breeding female (the offspring of a previous year) will remain in the territory and help to rear the cubs. Very occasionally two females may rear cubs in the same territory or even in the same den. Males fight to defend their territory during the mating season in January and February. A female fox, a vixen, is pregnant for 53 days and has a single litter per year. Cubs are born in March/April and the average litter is of 4-6 cubs. The tiny fox cubs only weigh 50-150 grams at birth and are not able to open their eyes till they are at least 9- 14 days old. At 4-5 weeks of age they are finally able to leave the den but still need their mother to look after them until they are weaned at 8-10 weeks. During this time the vixen may choose to move her cubs several times to different dens for safety. The fox family stays together until the autumn, by which time the cubs are adult sized, at this time the young will disperse from the parents range to find their own territory.

Answer 2

Usually, a baby fox will stay in its den or with its mother until it is old enough to take care of itself. The mother keeps it from harm by defending it until it is grown.