The dog fox slipped out from the woods just in front of me. Oblivious of the human, he dandered on along his path; sleek, red back catching the low sunlight, long thick tail streaming behind. I followed.

Suddenly stopping, he sprang and pounced. Having missed whatever it was he’d seen, the fox sat down. He still hadn’t noticed me. I was no more than 20 yards away, and feeling as though I was in my very own John Lewis Christmas advert, I crept closer. Yawning, he curled into a ball, snout digging deep into his tail.