A WESTON man has published a book detailing his experiences of befriending a wild fox.

Sam The Quarry Fox, which was published during the Covid pandemic, features photos by David S V Lewis and text by Angela M H Lewis.

David, proprietor of the Rowan Tree Tea Room in Weston's Old Town Quarry before the premises closed, slowly gained the trust of Sam the fox.

Sam, who was one of a litter of five, stayed in the area even after her siblings moved on.

Despite being a wild fox, Sam learned to trust David, who would offer her tasty treats whilst capturing some impressive photographs.

David, who has recently opened the weekend-only Cake Café in The Stable, would often put food in strange places to get the best shots.

Weston Mercury: Sam The Quarry Fox front cover.Sam The Quarry Fox front cover. (Image: David Lewis)Sam the quarry fox would often wander off, sometimes for days at a time, but would always return to her food source.

Eventually, Sam had a litter of her own, and even adopted another fox, called George. George was believed to have been an orphan.

Both George and Sam fell sick with mange, a condition which would have killed them without treatment. David decided to intervene and took first George, then Sam, to the Secret World Wildlife Rescue in Highbridge.

Weston Mercury: Sam investigating a camera.Sam investigating a camera. (Image: David Lewis)

The two foxes were treated and returned to the area. After a while, George decided to leave the territory.

Weston Mercury: Sam in snow.Sam in snow. (Image: David Lewis)In order to prevent a return of mange, David had to treat Sam with medication drops on her neck. To do this, he would distract her with food - one photo in the book even shows Sam eating out of his hand. This method was also used to treat the fox when she sustained a nasty mouth injury, most likely from a fight.

Weston Mercury: Sam grew to trust David.Sam grew to trust David. (Image: David Lewis)Sam went on to have another set of cubs.

Then, one day, Sam disappeared. It is believed that she passed away.

A YouTube channel, called Sam The Quarry Fox, also details her story.

For David, the experience was something he would never forget. The book reads: "Getting to spend so much time with a wild animal has been a truly amazing experience, having such trust enabled me to treat her injuries and also protect her from mange.

"One of my best experiences was when she sat next to me while her cubs played in the grass."

Sam The Quarry Fox can be purchased from Waterstones, eBay, and The Stable during the weekends, to name a few.