Darya Ostapenko's Image

Darya Ostapenko (Russia) watches a red fox as it chases a mouse through the snow-dusted grass.

Darya had been observing this red fox regularly over the course of a year in Pavlovskiy Park near Saint Petersburg, Russia.

She watched the fox pull rodents from the grass as the snow started to fall, killing them quickly and storing them among the tree roots.

This striped field mouse’s death wasn’t so swift. The fox repeatedly picked up and dropped the mouse as it tried to dash for cover. When the mouse froze in its tracks, Darya positioned herself directly in front of it before it made a final bid for freedom.

Foxes can hear prey from 30 metres (100 feet) away thanks to their sensitive ears. In deep snow, red foxes will stop and tilt their heads to listen for movement underneath. If they hear anything, they will leap into the air and dive head first into the snow.