"The fox fell silent and looked at the Little Prince for a while. "Please... tame me!" she said." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,  Le Petit Prince (1943).
Wildlife is supposed to be wild, not habituated. Yet, highly intelligent wild animals that are dietary generalists, like foxes, are very prone to habituation in high-visitation natural areas near big cities. This is also the case in Parnitha National Park, north west of Athens, where red deer and more recently a fox have become attractions for the selfie crowds. Low environmental awareness among the general population (in sharp contrast with regular hikers) and lax rule enforcement from the perpetually understaffed ranger force (a long story) led to the fox achieving TikTok stardom and fandom in 2024. It can be seen eating spaghetti, sausages and sipping lattes from tables served in the Bafi mountain shelter courtyard causing onlookers to giggle. Unlike wolves (which have also recently returned to Mt Parnitha attracted by the overpopulation of red deer and wild boar), foxes are considered 'cute', and not a threat. Therefore, park authorities tend to be passive, focusing on awareness raising through "don't feed the fox" signs in the shelter area, rather than fining visitors who feed them. I am unsure if any specific wildlife management measures have been applied to haze/scare this specific fox back to the forest. It's possible, as yesterday, we met the fox a full km away from the shelter on the main popular hiking path to Skipiza Spring. It slowly approached us, clearly expecting to be fed. The Park Service has installed several wildlife monitoring cameras around the Bafi shelter, following a highly-publicized 2022 incident where a black wolf attacked and killed a visitor's puppy in the Bafi shelter parking area. Dogs are banned from the national park, but people are, again, unaware, even of the fact that they are inside a national park. Would an entry ticket, or at least a check point, help them realize, one wonders? Habituated wildlife is just one of several challenges facing Mt. Parnitha National Park, where two thirds of its beautiful and dense fir forest was decimated during the devastating June 2007 wildfire. Unlike the Aleppo pine, the rare Greek fir (Abies cephalonica) does not regenerate easily after a fire, therefore, the southern, Athens-facing, side of the forest is probably gone forever. Fortunately the northern, cooler side was spared and still offers many good hiking opportunities. But as the Climate Crisis shows its teeth, it's only a matter of time until the next disaster. Until then we must enjoy, manage and prepare as responsibly as possible, with adequate funding, some of which must come from visitors and tour companies operating inside the park. In the Little Prince,  the tamed fox is a pivotal character, serving as a catalyst for the Prince's growth, helping him understand that he must return to his Rose. If only this semi-tamed fox could help Parnitha return to its former grandeur.