Our community is indeed blessed to have had such a remarkably professional family of photographers choose to display their internationally-awarded wildlife and conservation photographs in a gallery here in the Pass. The level of commitment and expertise required to capture the spectacular wildlife imagery that John, Jenaya and Josiah Launstein present at the Launstein Imagery studio, is second to none.

Back in February of this year I spotted an image and comments posted on the Launstein Imagery facebook site, of a beautiful photo that resonated very deeply with me. It was of a vixen, a female fox and her kit, framed beautifully in black and white. It spoke to me, as it did to many others, with the message that humans are not the only ones who take extraordinary steps to protect, nurture and raise their young. The photograph captures a mother’s love in one iconic frame. It was entitled, The Bond of Love.

I went to the Launstein gallery shortly after to see this photo up close and view their first class collection of wildlife photography. While there John Launstein shared the profoundly moving story of the vixen in this special photo. I also discovered that he has posted this mother’s story in a heart warming blog. With his permission I am going to share the story of the Waterton Princess, in its entirety, as the day approaches that we have chosen to honor our mothers.

Tribute to a Mother
By John Launstein
It’s always hard as a wildlife photographer not to get a little anthropomorphic with wildlife subjects, especially ones that exhibit such obvious character traits that we, as humans, appreciate. There is probably no wild animal our family of wildlife artists has ever felt more of a connection with than a beautiful Red Fox vixen who called Waterton Lakes National Park home. Sadly, our time with her came to an abrupt end just before Mother’s Day in 2015. When news broke that she had been found dead near her den, leaving six adorable young kits without their doting mother, fellow photographers and wildlife lovers throughout Alberta began sharing their special experiences with her and expressing their heartbreak over the loss. Local news channels even highlighted her story on television.

As wonderful as she had been in her seemingly willing role as a model to our telephoto lenses and the excited photographers behind them, the role she clearly loved the most was simply being a mother. We wanted to share some of her story in this tribute to a much-loved and terribly missed mom.

For several years we had been keeping track of and photographing a handsome male fox in Waterton, and as winter gave way to spring each year, we were anxious to see if he would be raising a family. Then one day, as we observed his den site through our binoculars, this lovely vixen bounded out to meet him. Before long, five adorable kits came out to see what the commotion was, awkwardly stumbling over each other and falling at nearly every obstacle they encountered. Right away we noticed how caring this mom was, nuzzling the kits back to their feet and giving them kisses and keeping a watchful eye on them as they explored their world.

After a few years, our favourite fox couple decided to upgrade their home and move to a more desirable location, as couples are prone to do. They chose one of the most striking sites you could find anywhere–none other than the front lawn area of the world-famous Prince of Wales hotel! It only seemed fitting for a couple deserving of royal status in the park, and like royalty, it didn’t take long for adoring fans, tourists and photographers to discover their whereabouts and ooh and aah over the kits that emerged from the den as spring arrived in southern Alberta.

For Jenaya, Josiah and I, it was always a struggle deciding whether to train our lenses on the little bundles of fur and cuteness that were constantly on the move tormenting each other and exploring the world outside the den, or to focus on their beautiful mom, who always seemed to be nearby providing for their every need. She nursed them. She hunted for them. She prepared the ground squirrels her mate brought her for the kits. She doted over them. She scolded them when they were getting out of hand. She barked warnings to get back to the den if one strayed too far or she sensed danger. She comforted them.

Like all good moms, she wore herself to a frazzle caring for her children. In fact, by June, she began occasionally sneaking away from the den site for a few moments rest while still keeping an eye on her busy adolescent kits, ever ready to run back if needed.

She always did a wonderful job rearing her kits and preparing them for life on their own, and it was a thrill for my family to catch sight of her young-adult offspring throughout each summer and early fall in the park and nearby region. Of course, once the kits dispersed it was harder to find our favourite fox model, and throughout the winter we always visited Waterton hoping this would be a lucky day where we would have a sighting.

Then one sunny April day in 2015 as we parked our vehicle in the parking lot at Prince of Wales, two baby fox kits were joined by two more–and then another, who was not quite as strong or coordinated as its siblings. And with the encouragement of mom, some time later, a sixth kit clumsily emerged. This one did not have full function of its back legs, and our vixen worked an amazing balance of coddling it by nuzzling and licking it and forcing the kit to work on gaining mobility by coming to her across the rolling grassland. With every visit we made we watched her paying special attention to the two kits that were still getting their legs under them, so to speak, and always getting lots of kisses in return.

To say that our Waterton Princess was putting on a show that spring is an understatement. Just a few days before she passed away, she crossed the road and hunted the meadow in front of Josiah and I, with Middle Waterton Lake below and Vimy’s Peak rising behind.

I don’t think I will ever forget an experience Josiah and I were privileged to witness late one evening. We had found our vixen’s mate hunting down by the lake and saw him catch a Columbian ground squirrel and begin trotting back to the den with it. We pulled into the parking lot before he arrived, turned the truck off and waited. Momma was resting in the grass between two of the den entrances when her faithful mate came home from work. He literally came around the Prince of Wales hotel, walked across the entrance lane, and trotted down the front steps. At this point, our vixen rushed to meet him, wagging her whole body in excitement and kissing his face repeatedly before taking the ground squirrel to her kits. She helped them tear into it a bit, and then returned happily to her mate, this time rolling onto her back and tenderly reaching up to his face with her paw. They kissed each other and nuzzled briefly, and then dad trotted off, disappearing into the twilight in search of the next meal for his growing family.

It was far too dark for pictures, and to be honest, it was such a precious glimpse into the lives of this fox couple, I’m glad I didn’t have the distraction of the camera and was able to just soak it in with my son.

Just a few days later, as I checked my Twitter feed over breakfast, I saw a link to an article in the Calgary Herald sharing the news that park officials had found the body of our beloved Waterton vixen near her den, and were working with biologists to determine the best steps for the six orphaned kits.

We were literally heartbroken by this news. My family and I had spent so many hours in the company of this wonderful animal, and her whole-hearted devotion to her mate and children had endeared her to us more than any other fox we’ve ever encountered.

Every Mother’s Day since, as we celebrate and honour the incredible gift of our moms, we also celebrate the loving care this beautiful mother provided her children year-in and year-out.

We also celebrate her mate, ever the faithful dad, who kept right on with his job of bringing meals to his kits and spending time playing and roughhousing with them and teaching them to hunt. He ended up caring for his young family throughout the spring and early summer until the kits had grown into young foxes, ready to explore the world around them and establish their own territories.

So, to our royal Waterton vixen, we have been touched by your tenderness to your children, your affection for and joy in your mate, your kind patience with those of us who found you too beautiful to resist capturing you in pixels and prints, and above all, your example of what it means to be a mother.

Author’s Note: The Launstein Image Wildlife Art Gallery is on main street Blairmore at 12323- 20 Ave. and a second gallery has been opened in Waterton Park at 301 Windflower Ave.

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