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Foxes

A Sierra Nevada fox at Collado de Carihuela (Photo: Sarah O’Toole)

Spanish foxes – at least in the Sierra Nevada – are not like English solitary foxes as they have been known to work in groups. If you’re camping out, they will come at night to take your food, putting their heads under the side of your tent to grab anything they can find, especially if you keep items in plastic bags. If it’s not food, it will be discarded nearby. If it is, you won’t see it again.

They are a particular problem at the more utilised camping and bivouac sites, even in the depths of mid-winter. Siete Lagunas, Laguna del Caballo, around the vicinity of Refugio Carihuela and at Laguna de la Caldera seem to be the worst locations, but they have also been encountered at Collado de Vacares and Laguna de Juntillas in the far north of the range.

In the summer months the presence of a dog will deter, but this is often not possible for those on a walking or hiking holiday. Another option is to use an anti-fox beacon: this innovative and humane deterrent detects body heat, and once triggered it releases bursts of ultrasound, resulting in the fox retreating. FOXWatch (www.conceptresearch.co.uk) produce one. Otherwise, unless you stay in a fox-proof hut, you have to accept fox raids as a possible natural part of mountain life in the Sierra Nevada.