“It was terrifying and beautiful at the same time.”
Agnius Narkevicius was on a road trip to the Arctic Ocean when he encountered a breathtaking sight. While crossing the border between Yukon and Northwest Territories in Canada, a fox appeared in front of his car. However, this was no ordinary fox.
“I swear to God, I have never changed my lens that quickly in my life,” Narkevicius recalled. “I jumped out of the car immediately and started to approach her gently so I wouldn’t spook her.” The fox had features that intrigued Narkevicius, as he couldn’t quite determine her exact species. Due to climate change, red foxes have expanded their range into the Arctic, traditionally the domain of the polar fox. This fox seemed to exhibit characteristics of both, but with some distinct differences.
“I was extremely confused when I noticed her features,” Narkevicius said. “She had features of the red fox but looked very different from a red fox. At first, I guessed that it was a cross-breed of polar fox and red fox, which has become a trending problem in the Canadian Arctic.”
Initially wary of Narkevicius, the fox soon circled back, growing curious about the photographer. “[Foxes] often tend to be excessively curious and gentle,” he said. “She was approaching me closer and closer to the point where I wasn’t feeling too comfortable. She obviously looked straight at me and had [what] resembled a human-like look.”
As the fox stared at him, Narkevicius felt a deep connection. “I felt like my soul was naked at the time, and her eyes weren’t ‘empty,’ they were full of soul and life,” he shared. “It was terrifying and beautiful at the same time.”
Eventually, after getting to within 23 feet, the fox decided her curiosity was satisfied and wandered off. Upon reviewing his photos later, Narkevicius realized the animal wasn’t a cross-breed, but rather a “cross fox”—a variant of the red fox. The cross fox has characteristics of both red and silver foxes, but unlike a typical red fox, it features a darker stripe down its back and a dark band over its shoulders.
“The cross fox is still very unusual,” Narkevicius noted. “It’s not as rare as a fully melanistic ‘silver fox,’ but it’s still something quite special.”
Describing the experience as a gift from the Canadian Arctic, Narkevicius shared the encounter on Instagram, writing, “Witnessing this cross fox was the greatest gift I received by the Canadian Arctic.”