Backyard burrows: Fox family creates home in Lincoln couple's yard (2024)

Little nose prints cover the sliding doors that lead to Klara and Jim Schuman's backyard, but they aren’t from the couple’s cat or their late dogs. The imprints come from a few foxes who decided the Schumans’ backyard was the perfect place to raise their kits — all seven of them.

While it’s the most foxes Klara and Jim have had, it’s not the first time wildlife has invaded their backyard near 48th and Vine streets.

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In 2021, a female fox first appeared in the Schumans’ backyard with a kit. The backyard quickly became home as a den was formed in a groundhog hole. While Klara and Jim didn’t see the mother much, they did notice part of her back left foot was missing, possibly from an animal trap.

Klara and Jim tried to give the foxes as much space as they could and watched the little family from cameras around their house.

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“We have security cameras on the outside which have actually become wildlife cameras for all these wild lives,” Klara said.

After watching the duo for nearly six weeks, the foxes disappeared when the kit was big enough to jump the fence.

Then, around the middle of March while on vacation, Klara and Jim once again noticed a couple of adult foxes venturing into the backyard on their security cameras. Klara was sure it was the same fox.

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When they returned home, they found the limping female and a male fox that had created a den in the same spot. Jim said he had even spent the past three years filling the hole with dirt, only to watch it continue to be dug out by animals.

Jim said when he and his wife initially looked out the window to watch the family, the adult foxes would bark and the kits would quickly scatter. After a while, they didn’t seem as bothered by the window watchers.

“She must have decided we weren’t a threat and so we could stand there and watch it all day,” Jim said.

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After nearly a month, two more kits appeared along with another adult. The Schumans still aren’t sure as to why their backyard has become the chosen place for the fox families, but they've crafted up a few theories, including their home being near a bike path where wildlife roams.

“This neighborhood has always for years had foxes, raccoons, possums, groundhogs and even turkeys,” Jim said.

Klara suspects the construction at Wyuka Funeral Home and Cemetery might play a factor, especially considering the torn-up lake.

“They’ve got the cemetery and a lot of construction. And then they built a whole bunch of apartments,” Klara said. “I truly believe that all their homes and their dens ... that they’ve been chased out of there.”

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The Schumans have never fed the foxes and they don’t encourage them to stay. However, they also said they aren’t discouraging them to stay for the time being. The wooden fences surrounding the backyard provide a safe place for the kits to grow.

Klara said none of the neighbors seemed too bothered by the furballs running around. However, Klara said some people have reached out and told them to trap the family, call animal control or reach out to Nebraska Game & Parks. Since the foxes aren’t sick or damaging anything, Klara and Jim don’t plan to disturb them.

“That wouldn’t be fair to nature,” Klara said.

Jim is hoping the family will naturally move on soon as the kits become more independent.

“We’ve just kind of let them go and do what they want,” Jim said.

In the past week, Jim and Klara have started entering their backyard again and sitting on the deck to encourage the foxes to leave.

Prior to the fox family arrival, Jim said they didn’t know much about the wild animals. While they still aren’t fox experts, they have loved learning by watching their backyard residents.

Lately, some of these viewings include the kits practicing how to hunt and kill by grabbing one another by the fur.

“They train on each other,” Jim said. “You’ll see them sneaking and crawling along and kind of sneaking up and then they’ll pounce on one of the other kits and they’ll grab it right by the neck.”

Other lessons are taught by the adult foxes, including teaching the kits how to bury their food. A few weeks ago, Jim watched the mother give a vole to the kits before taking it away, burying it and repeating. Sometimes, the father takes a kit out at night to learn how to hunt.

When the male fox isn’t teaching, Jim said he will watch as the seven kits chase each other, tackle and eat.

“They’re just watching everything and if there is anything they perceive as a danger, they bark and the kits disappear,” Jim said.

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It’s hard to predict when the foxes will be out and playing, causing few friends and family members of the couple to catch sight of them. However, Klara has continued to share numerous photos and videos of the kits playing and learning on her Facebook page.

“There’s so many people that are following their growth, their learning and to see a mom and dad take care of them,” Klara said.

As for Klara and Jim, they’re enjoying the time they have left with their furry grandfoxes.

“This is a once in a lifetime thing to be able to see a family like this,” Klara said.