Villa Berna is a very small village in the Cordoba province, Argentina. It is surrounded by a man made forest and high up in the mountains. When I say small, I mean really small. I don`t even know if they have a supermarket. What makes this little village extra special are the wild foxes.
I first saw the wild foxes back in 2008 when Andrey and I travelled to this part of the world in search of land. We took an excursion for the day to la Cumbrecita and we stopped over to see the foxes and also to support the local community by purchasing souvenirs and gifts that are for sale.
In May 2008 it was snowing in La Cumbrecita and the forest was transformed into a fairy land. Later that same year my family came to visit and we took the same tour. They had to experience this.
The tour guide explained to us that many years ago the forest did not exist. When the first German and Swiss people arrived in this part of the world, they started to plant trees. Now this forest is protected and provides jobs for many people. We have a lot of wood here and most of it comes from this forest. We could see a lot of wood scoops lying around.
It didn`t take long before the foxes made their appearance. We were cautioned not to go too close because they are wild. I know some people might think that they were not wild because I appear to be relatively close in the photos but they are. They live in the forest and also hunt there.
They are regulars around here and the owners of this house leaves food for them outside especially in winter when food is scarce. The man told us that at times they attack the cows when they are very hungry. I presume this could become a problem.
They were really beautiful to watch and not camera shy. My family enjoyed it a lot and I was so happy that we have brought them here. I haven`t been back to Villa Berna in some years and I am curious if the foxes are still there. I presume they are and it is business as usual.
Little did I know that the next year we would end up with a stray fox at the hostel. That specific winter was terrible and we had mountain fires that destroyed many hectares of farm land. We believe that a fox from Villa Berna ended up here at stayed for a month. He called us at night and we gave him dog food. Some nights we didn`t see him and I presume he was hunting. We have a photo of him somewhere and when I find it I will post it here.
Where: Villa Berna, Calamuchita Valley,Cordoba,Argentina
When: May and September 2008
What a lovely story about the tiny village and their visiting foxes! One of the first short stories I ever wrote as a child was about foxes – I loved them then and still do!
Great photos, too, Nelieta!
Blessings!
Thank you so much Martha! Glad you enjoyed it! Wow, how interesting! I like foxes but you will be surprised how many people don[t like them!
Lovely pictures and the story is very nice!
It surely must have been a wonderful experience.
Thank you so much Privy Trifles! It was such a nice experience and I am sure my family still remembers this day fondly.
Dear Nelieta,
Lovely stories and photos.You look great too! Thanks for sharing.
Dear Andy! Thank you so much my friend for the compliment! Have a wonderful day!
What a lovely post. It is not a very common sight to have foxes roaming around so freely among humans. Thank you sharing this Nelieta
Thank you Rimly! Yes it is not common for foxes to be around humans and many people don`t like them. I think they are adorable and the one that we had here for a month was so gorgeous!