Heartbreaking Moment Arctic Fox Cub Calls for Its Mom Captured on Camera

A video of “the sweetest” arctic fox cub in Iceland crying for its mother has captured the hearts of users on Instagram.
The moment was filmed by Iceland-based photographer Léo Guedes and has amassed 37,000 views since it was shared on June 27. The clip features the small fox cub making a “whimper” sound, which is common among fox cubs seeking attention or expressing a need.
The video was shot in the summer ago at a national park near where Guedes lives. “I’ve been watching foxes in a national park near where I live for a while now, but this was the first time I saw the cubs, right after they came out of their den,” Guedes told Newsweek. “You could see them playing…it was a quick cry, then the mother arrived, and there were other cubs nearby, so he soon calmed down too.”
In the video, the cub is seen briefly crying out before the mother returns, a situation Guedes describes as a moment of maternal care amid the busy life of an arctic fox. “The parents are always looking for food,” he explained, adding, “After all, taking care of six cubs is not an easy task! But they were always very careful with the cubs.”
Guedes said that this crying behavior is natural for young cubs as they communicate with their mothers. In a caption shared with the post, he says: “The sound an arctic fox cub makes is called a ‘whine’ or ‘whimper.’ These vocalizations are common in fox cubs when they seek their mother’s attention or express need.”
The bond between mother Arctic foxes and their cubs is particularly strong during the early months of the cubs’ lives, as they rely on their mothers for protection and food, especially when they first venture out of their dens.
The species well adapted to the harsh conditions of Iceland. According to The Arctic Fox Center, a nonprofit research center in Iceland, these foxes are the only native land mammal in the country and are believed to have survived the last ice age by staying on the island as the glaciers retreated.
“The Arctic foxes of Iceland are true descendants of the ice age as they remained at the island as the ice cap withdrew toward the north thousands of years ago. The Arctic foxes are truly an important part of the poor fauna of Icelandic nature and have become quite well adapted to the unfriendly climate and sparsely available resources,” the center explains.
Icelandic Arctic foxes come in two distinct colors—white and blue—with the white foxes sporting a near-complete white coat in winter that turns brown and white in the summer. The blue foxes remain dark throughout the year, “but the sun bleaches the color in late winter so it´s not easy to distinguish the colors in that time of the year,” the center notes.
While Arctic foxes are found throughout Iceland, the Westfjords region is home to the densest population. The coastline provides an essential food supply for the foxes, especially during the winter months when other resources are scarce.
The Arctic Fox Center also highlights that parents work hard to ensure the survival of their young. Their diet consists of birds, eggs, invertebrates, berries, and carrion, all of which are cached for the harsh winter months.
Guedes’ video has sparked widespread reactions from Instagram users, who shared their love for the fluffy cub and concern for its welfare.
Many viewers were touched by the cub’s brief cry, with @pope.animala asking “Tell us the little buddy found his mom” and @roxana_cirease remarking, “It breaks my heart.”
User @akametenshi commented, “Beautiful,” while @loveyourselfmost called it “The sweetest tiny little love.” Another user, @florian_maier_x, said the cub was “Sooo fluffy” and nicpix_ simply wrote “The cutest!”
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