LONDON Hunting for small creatures must be a tall order at the best of times. But it becomes vastly more complex when they’re concealed beneath a huge blanket of snow.
Foxes that stalk the prairies in North America during wintertime know this only too well. During a segment of Planet Earth II the trials of one particular fox who was trying really, really hard to hunt a vole captured the nation’s heart.
“The food the fox seeks is also deep beneath the snow,” explained David Attenborough, after describing how a herd of bison are forced to break through the white blanket to get to the grass beneath.
“The survival of both creatures depends on getting through to the ground.”
And while the bison bludgeon through using their super-strong necks, the fox has a different (and not always entirely successful) approach:
It looks painful but the little guy clearly has to commit 100% to every dive.
Nope.
Double nope.
People clearly felt a sense of empathy for the fox.
How I feel about 2016 #PlanetEarth2 pic.twitter.com/mDzFuZA6WX
BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) December 4, 2016
That fox nosediving into the snow is a great metaphor for our season so far. #planetearth2 #lcfc
Simon McCarthy (@Ched44) December 4, 2016
That fox is a metaphor for my entire life #planetearth2
Obi-Wan Kenobae (@Alexwintermute) December 4, 2016
Even his stalking method was a topic of conversation.
When you get home late and dont want to wake your parents #PlanetEarth2 pic.twitter.com/p0flbwCoOq
BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) December 4, 2016
People were reminded of other epic snow dives.
watching that fox divibg head first into the snow reminded me of this #planetearth2 pic.twitter.com/uikPJ5iTYD
Newky (@Newky_Brown) December 4, 2016
Who did it better… #Clarkson or #Fox? #planetearth2 pic.twitter.com/jUiJRNd9dN
Tom Leak (@Tom_Leak) December 4, 2016
Mostly, though, everyone just thought the fox was awesome.
I am so in love with that fox! #planetearth2
Stephanie Cowburn (@StephCowburn) December 4, 2016
Why does that fox look like it’s been to hair and make up to shoot it’s scenes #PlanetEarth2 #fox
Holly Taylor (@_holtay) December 4, 2016
Oh, and in case you were wondering, his repeated face-plants paid of. He manages to successfully nab a vole during the final lunge into an area that’s been partially cleared by the bison.
Wooooah!!! How did that happen!!! Fox with amazing Vole Radar….Voledar #planetearth2
Gabrielle Blackman (@CushionCrisis) December 4, 2016
You go, fox.
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Read more: http://mashable.com/2016/12/05/fox-diving-in-snow-planet-earth-ii/