At first, Ava thought the second snare had caught another fox. Then the flashlight beam shifted, and she saw gray-brown fur, a narrow face, and terrified eyes. The kit was extremely thin and struggling to breathe, its front leg trapped in the wire. It had gone silent from fear and exhaustion. It must have been lying there the whole time, hidden by the brambles while they focused on the fox.
Colin cursed under his breath. “This whole line needs clearing.” The rescue became slower and more dangerous. The kit was still breathing, and Colin had to loop a catch pole carefully. Ava stood back, holding Luna’s leash with both hands. Luna whined once, then sank to the ground. For one horrible second, Ava thought she had lost her. But Luna was only spent, her body finally giving in after birth, rain, and the impossible task she had taken on alone.
The fox and the fifth kit were loaded for emergency care. Colin collected the snares in a sealed evidence bag. He looked toward the nearby fields. “Someone set these deliberately,” he said. Ava looked at Luna, lying in the mud but still watching the carriers.