These amazing photographs capture the moment a rare black fox was spotted in the British countryside.
The prized shots were taken by amateur photographer John Moore, 58, to prove to his friends he had really seen the unusual creature.
It is believed to be only the second time a black fox has been spotted in the British countryside.
John’s wife Cheryl, 64, first spotted what she thought to be a black sack blowing in the wind last week.
John then spotted it for himself last Thursday but it has disappeared by the time he managed to get his camera out.
He then spent four days watching for the black fox, which has a distinctive white-tipped tail and is believed to be one of just a handful in the country.
John, who took the pictures on Monday, yesterday (Tues) said his friends thought he was imagining the black fox.
He said: “When we spoke to people they didn’t believe us.
“They though we were talking about some kind of mythical creature.
“They thought we must have been mistaken and just seen a stray dog.
“I was desperate to get a good picture to prove we had seen it.
“From these pictures there is no mistaking it.
“The best shot is the one with the fox on the run.
“There was no time to set up a tripod, I had to be quick on my feet or I would have missed it.”
John, a semi-retired manager, believes there may be another black fox living near his home in Bassingbourne, Cambs., but is yet to capture a shot of it.
The black fox is in fact a red fox which is going through a phase where the colour of its fur is particularly dark.
The unusual colouring is normally seen on growing cubs before the fox develops its dark chestnut coat, but some red foxes remain black due to a rare genetic flaw, which dates back hundreds of years.
A black fox was spotted in Lancashire in 2008 by walker Kevin Hehir.
