A melanistic Fox, one of the rarest animals on the planet

Over the course of two months, photographer Sam Gaby gained the trust of a unique-looking fox in Newfoundland.

The pair have built a relationship that allowed the photographer to capture the wild creature’s stunning photographs in its natural habitat.

Cross foxes are a fairly common sight to those who live in northern North America, where they are more abundant.

The beautiful creatures have an orange coat mixed with dark stripes that run down their back and across their shoulders.

They make up about 30% of the Canadian red fox population, and they are still a special sight to behold.

“Our first encounter was calculated, I was focused on how not to disturb this wild animal, but at the same time, I was trying to assure him that I was not a threat”

“He was unsure about my presence, each cautious step forward was followed by two steps back, and our first encounter didn’t last long, I moved slowly, but by the time I prepared my camera and locked eyes with him, he ran off.”

Gaby worked hard to gain the animal’s trust as much as she could.

Luckily, Gaby didn’t give up and after repeated visits at sunset, the fox began to relax around the photographer and his camera.

After the first two months, Gaby returned several times during the year to check on his little friend.

During each visit, he learned a bit more about the fox and its sibling – who can often be seen in Gaby’s photographs as well.

“I am impressed with his beauty but also his level of intelligence.”

“I’ve witnessed him hunting, hiding and retrieving food stores, and interacting with other foxes. He was extremely playful, especially with his sibling, I gave them both names; Mat and Pat.”