Part 0800.0005

[sadietoo]

Having said that a fox would attack an entire flock of chickens bu tmight only take away one or two so maybe they do attack for other reasons too.

 

I'd always understood that this is because they will kill to feed their larder...(if you were desperately hungry and didn't know where your next meal is going to come from, would you walk away from a supermarket with a half empty trolley?) but they aren't bright enough to come back and collect everything they kill straight away...

[Rhapsody]

Why would a fox bother to attack something it couldnt carry away? I'm another sceptic on this story. Can I also add as an ex-Londoner I'm rather amused by everyone's horror that people in London actually *gasp* leave their back doors open in summer we did it for years and we didnt exactly live in Belgravia, amazingly, we survived unmolested!

[The Dogmother]

I was listening to a discussion on the radio this morning - the theory they were putting forward was that there are now more urban foxes for two reasons;

 

1) Now that fox hunting has been banned, the injured or sick foxes in the country aren't being culled or starving (as would normally happen) because they can't hunt - they are moving into the towns instead where food is more readily available.

 

2) The other theory they put forward is that people are 'urbanising' foxes by feeding them and allowing them to breed in their gardens, thus the population of foxes in any given area has gotten too large for the amount of prey/food available. This makes them bolder and more opportunistic.

 

 

I have no doubt that a fox would be physically able to carry out such an attack - I have seen them take new born lambs and even attack a terrier. I also know that they will venture into houses looking for food; what I can't get my head around though is that it would go so far inside a house. Perhaps they are now too urbanised and have lost their fear of humans.

[Guest]

My mad aunt lives in London and actively encourages the foxes/cubs puts out food etc she thinks they are wonderful and she does have a large garden (unusual in London). She has done this for many years but they have never come into her house and remain quite timid etc.

 

We have many arguments about her feeding of them,as although a much persecuted fox, I am no fan of the fox.

However unfortunately the fox population has probably risen due to ban on hunting etc I saw a lovely big one down the bridle way last week. As long as it keeps away from the chickens, they do keep the rabbit population down for the farmers etc.

 

I do find this baby attack a very bizarre sequence of events. The house looked quite solidly terraced too at the front etc. I am sure the true events will out in the end, the police and hospital etc will be good at spotting anything untoward.

 

indie

[Lesley]

"Ooops, word censored!"ody believed Lindy Chamberlain when she said a dingo had taken her baby either - she was imprisoned for murder but later exonerated - strange things happen! I hope this is just one of those strange things.

[scarlettohara]

As already suggested 'the sick or injured' are not culled by hunting - also older foxes not able to hunt for themselves take the easy route by coming into gardens to eat rubbish or well meaning people feeding them. Hunting has worked for hundreds of years - when I was younger and living on a farm we rarely saw foxes now I live on the outskirts of town and see them all the time - crazy

[theherd123]

.. when I was younger and living on a farm we rarely saw foxes now I live on the outskirts of town and see them all the time - crazy

 

Im sure the increase in population density in towns and cities with urban growth outwards has also been a big contributing factor to seeing more foxes. We are encroaching more and more into green belt & what once belonged solely to mother nature.

We have quite a few new housing developments springing up where I live and building in any 2 inch gap seems to be an option - this must be occuring in other areas too?

[scarlettohara]

Yes I agree with that - our neighbours sold the end of their garden - smaller than mine - there is now a huge 4 bedroom house there. They will have a nice view of my WIR though

[Jools]

I'm lucky enough to live in an area where the hunting ban has had no impact on fox numbers as they're controlled more humanely by shooting now (probably always were tbh), and I suspect this is true of a lot of rural areas.

 

However, I don't honestly believe that the increase in urban fox numbers, and their growing boldness, has anything at all to do with the ban, but more to do with our appalling litter and food waste habits. Obviously, it had to start somewhere, with foxes moving into towns and cities, attracted by the easy food source from bin bags stuffed with food waste, discarded takeaways etc. No wonder they stayed to breed, helped further by misguided folk feeding them.

Unfortunately, this "kindness" extends to rehabilitating the sick, wounded and orphaned then releasing them into the country, where their chances of survival are pretty much zero.

 

If only we could turn back time.

[Chucky Mama]

I'm lucky enough to live in an area where the hunting ban has had no impact on fox numbers as they're controlled more humanely by shooting now (probably always were tbh), and I suspect this is true of a lot of rural areas.

 

However, I don't honestly believe that the increase in urban fox numbers, and their growing boldness, has anything at all to do with the ban, but more to do with our appalling litter and food waste habits. Obviously, it had to start somewhere, with foxes moving into towns and cities, attracted by the easy food source from bin bags stuffed with food waste, discarded takeaways etc. No wonder they stayed to breed, helped further by misguided folk feeding them.

Unfortunately, this "kindness" extends to rehabilitating the sick, wounded and orphaned then releasing them into the country, where their chances of survival are pretty much zero.

 

If only we could turn back time.

 

I totally agree on all points.

[scarlettohara]

My aunt , who lives in Bexley, told me today that her neighbours found a fox asleep on their bed