The first domesticated foxes [video]

The Belyayev foxes have always fascinated me. And I've wondered about the feasibility of applying his domestication protocol to other animals, like apes, raccoons, etc. Or alternating selection for tameness with intelligence every few dozen generations.

Maybe David Brin's idea of Uplift could become a reality.

So when I was a kid I when visiting my family in Australia I tamed a Cockatoo. A Cockatoo is an Australian Parrot, After I left back for the UK, my aunt never forgave me. Joe, the Cockatoo became very dependent on the family.

I grew up on the Kings Road in London and a local shop has a pet lion called Christian. A film was made about Christian been returned to the wild. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btuxO-C2IzE

In my 30's I tried to tame some foxes, using dog food as a sign of peace. They would enter my cottage when I had the TV on, but would never go closer than about 5 feet.

But it was quite cool having foxes in one's own house. It used to scare quests, who would normally think they were wild dogs.

BUT I know belive wild animals should be wild. We project meaning on them, that is our interpretation.

Racoons are actually very easy to domesticate.