Foxes

[northepaul]

No offence to anyone, but that IS the reality, and anyone who thinks it can't or won't happen to a child, needs a reality check. Sorry.

No its not reality, its what's written in a newspaper to scare people.

Perhaps we should cull all foxes, along with all wildlife incase they come into our homes and kill us all?

This what the government want, so they have an excuse to reintroduce fox hunting.....
After all, they perpetuated the rumour that Badgers were responsible for TB in cattle, so they could cull them....anyone else see a pattern here?

[VirginVegGrower]

No, not really.
Jamie Oliver tweet - his black swan, sitting on eggs ripped apart by fox. Not taken or eaten. Just done for fun! Has the whole thing on CCTV.

[Aberdeenplotter]

unfortunately, it is the nature of the beast. Foxes do kill for the hell of it. . There is no way this story was an invention and it isn't the first instance of infants being damaged.

I'm anti hunting foxes or any other animal with dogs so I have no axe to grind in this. I was born and bred in the country, my family has a history in Agriculture and my granny kept hens. On more than one occasion she suffered multiple losses of large numbers of hens caused by fox attacks. They don't just take one "for the pot". They slaughter every last bird they can get hold of. They are not fluffy loveable animals and they don't go boom boom like Basil Brush. They are dangerous destructive animals.

[Hazel at the Hill]

No its not reality, its what's written in a newspaper to scare people.

Perhaps we should cull all foxes, along with all wildlife incase they come into our homes and kill us all?

This what the government want, so they have an excuse to reintroduce fox hunting.....
After all, they perpetuated the rumour that Badgers were responsible for TB in cattle, so they could cull them....anyone else see a pattern here?

No, I do not see a pattern here.

We don't live in a totalitarian state - the government does not dictate what is put in newspapers, and the press write what they please in order to sell newspapers (and probably still will, despite Leveson).

Back to urban foxes - if people will encourage wild animals by feeding to become less fearful towards man, then there's no point moaning when they become less fearful of man!

The fox population will only expand (breed) to match the food supply - if we stop feeding them and dispose of less food waste (or dispose of it securely not in black bags which can and are ripped open), the problem will die down within a couple of fox generations.

[Newton]

I thought that badgers are responsible for the spread of TB in cattle!!!

It was on country file.

[veggiechicken]

I don't support hunting with dogs as I hate to think of any living creature being ripped apart by another. Sadly, when a fox ripped apart my hens, the fox lost a lot of my sympathy. That night, if I could have got hold of that fox, I was so incensed I'm not sure what I would have done to it.

[Sheneval]

My daughter's neighbours wakened up about 3 in the morning and looked out of the window to see 3 foxes gathered round my grandson's rabbit hutch - it was so well constructed they got nowhere.

The foxes and rats live on the railway embankments as they do all over the country.

I would cull both extensively using any method safe for other wildlife.

[Glutton4...]

No its not reality, its what's written in a newspaper to scare people...

With respect, Thea, that's just total tosh! I agree that it is 'scare-mongering' but sensationalising everything is what sells Newspapers. (Incidentally, I don't read a newspaper. I collect used ones for fire-lighting purposes. I believe they only have one other use, but I don't want newsprint on my arris!)

If you have never witnessed mother nature at her most cruel, you are very lucky. But as I said before, stunningly beautiful though the Fox may be, it is also a master of survival, and with no conscience.

[Newton]

Tangentising a bit.......the "Government" is an elected group of people like you and I. A disparate bunch at the best of times but essentially made up of good people who want to make a difference. These people don't just suddenly become a group of evil mutters....Hell bent on killing all wildlife.....

(it takes years!!!!)

[bubblewrap]

Have foxes near to my allotment can tell when there has been a "kill" usually a pigeon(nice Mr Fox )
I have seen foxes not too far from Loughborough town centre.
And there are(is) fox(es) in the area at the back of my house.

Foxes come into towns for two main reasons
1) Their homes in the country have been built on
2) Humans(us) leave throw down in the street lots of FOOD for them to scavenge.

[Aberdeenplotter]

There was a wee piece on Countryfile a few moments about urban foxes. The guy who was interviewed by Julia Bradbury said we cannot forget these are wild animals and we must treat them as such. Very important point.

[rabbit]

My neighbours feed the foxes. I think it's a bit stupid, and one day I'd like to keep chickens so it annoys me. Also fox mess that we get in our garden as a result is the most vile substance known to man.

All, all our food waste is collected by the council here, in locked food bins for recycling.

I believe the story, not that I've read the paper, but a hungry and fearless fox entering a house in bleak midwinter doesn't surprise me at all. I've seen them and they're extremely agile, as much as a cat, as strong as a dog and wild. They make terrifying noises when they mate,I don't like them. Also a fox killed my rabbit popsy when I was little, she was a good 7 years old, that's an old grudge.

Anyway, I'm not sure what the solution is but maybe this story will discourage people feeding them at least?

[VirginVegGrower]

It's also important to note that the RSPCA release these urban foxes back into rural areas, which means people in those rural areas then get other people's problem. That's wrong. I see one, I let my terrier out - end of! They soon disappear, but some come strolling through my garden, which they never used to. We are rural. My neighbour sticks out her scraps. Draw your own conclusion.

[salome2001]

I imagine everyone read the, in my opinion, ludicous, news report of the fox that apparently removed a baby from a cot and bit its finger off.

I remember reading an opinion from a "wildlife expert" that it was impossible that a fox would have done it.

It reminded me of a woman in my home country who claimed a dingo took her three month old baby. She was vilified, jailed and portrayed by Hollywood as "evil".

Years later the evidence came to light that the baby had in fact been taken by a dingo, and she was completely innocent.

Impossible??

[MartinRSharpe]

While no fan of foxes we should remember that this was a very rare occurrence, super size foxes fed on take away left overs are not going to invade out cities and kill all the children.

Compare the numbers of mauling by foxes to the number by dogs in the UK and it kind of puts it into context.