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Chris Packham consoles talented young wildlife photographer who found fox he’d been tracking for months shot dead

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Teenage wildlife photographer, Shelby Grant, meets Chris Packham on the set of Springwatch following the tragic demise of a red fox he’d been photographing for months

Chris Packham and Shelby Grant holding a ceramic fox sculpture, while standing in a field
Shelby's Instagram video, dedicated to the beautiful fox, was seen by conservationist and wildlife presenter, Chris Packham, who reached out (Image credit: Protect the Wild)

The tragic story of a young wildlife photographer and a very special fox has come to a heart-warming conclusion, thanks to the legendary Chris Packham, who recently invited the talented Shelby Grant (@shelby.photography__) to the set of the BBC's British wildlife series Springwatch. The Instagram post, shared via @protectthewild__, follows Shelby’s heartbreaking admission that the red fox he’d been tracking and photographing for months had been found in a field, dead, and with a gunshot wound.

The 15-year-old wildlife photographer shared the tragic news via an emotional video on Instagram (below), where he said: "He wasn’t just a wild animal to me. He was part of a lot of my mornings. My evenings and my peace (...) Shooting wildlife like this isn’t just cruel. It’s unnecessary. And it robs us all of something so beautiful.”

A post shared by Shelby Grant (@shelby.photography__)

A photo posted by on

Shelby’s video went viral and has garnered 2.4 million views, 287,635 likes, and 19.5K comments and counting. While nothing will bring Shelby’s fox friend back, it’s a real treat to witness some of the frankly stunning photographs at the end of the video that the young photographer captured, ensuring that this beautiful animal's memory lives on.

In a final act of kindness, Chris Packham asked Protect the Wild if it could sort out a special gift for the young conservationist. They settled on a lovely little ceramic fox from British wildlife sculptor @sarahbrabbinart, a fitting tribute indeed. Make sure you visit Shelby’s Instagram page to browse through his exemplary selection of wildlife images. It might look like the home of a seasoned wildlife photography veteran, but at the tender age of 15, Shelby's only getting started!

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Mike Harris
Mike Harris
How To Editor

Mike studied photography at college, honing his Adobe Photoshop skills and learning to work in the studio and darkroom. After a few years writing for various publications, he headed to the ‘Big Smoke’ to work on Wex Photo Video’s award-winning content team, before transitioning back to print as Technique Editor (later Deputy Editor) on N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine.

With bylines in Digital Camera, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Practical Photography, Digital Photographer, iMore, and TechRadar, he’s a fountain of photography and consumer tech knowledge, making him a top tutor for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and more. His expertise extends to everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...

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