• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

An Abundance Of Foxes

W

Wyrdskein

Gone But Not Forgotten
(ACCOUNT RETIRED)
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
10
On the way home from work (between Chislehurst and Greenhithe) I nearly hit 3 foxes at different spots, and have noticed lots of dead foxes (clearly hit by cars) in the road (more so than ever before). One fox was on the middle of a bypass roundabout. I wonder what's happening with them at the moment? They seem to be acting in a crazy way lately.
 
Quelle coincidence, I saw a fox in my back garden today, in broad daylight. I think their urban daring is quite common now, and doubt they're planning a coup or anything.
 
gncxx said:
Quelle coincidence, I saw a fox in my back garden today, in broad daylight. I think their urban daring is quite common now, and doubt they're planning a coup or anything.
Click to expand...

Or they're gonna raid a coup.
 
...

Just shows that we don't need fox hunting. Cars keep the numbers down.
 
In suburban Baltimore, foxes are common. Some have come to the city for garbage and rats.

Stop hunting them, and some critters will explode their numbers, foxes are one thing, but in Florida, alligators are eating people.

Foxes are beautiful creatures, but also serious vectors of rabies.
 
Which isn't a problem here as we don't have rabies in the British Isles.

It's funny but when I was growing up I only remember seeing one fox, these days though if you go out at night you always see at least one.
 
oldrover said:
It's funny but when I was growing up I only remember seeing one fox, these days though if you go out at night you always see at least one.
Click to expand...

This is my perception too. They have become braver now they're not being hunted.
 
I don't remember many hunts going through cities.
 
Perhaps I wasn't talking about cities?
 
Saying about the foxes on the bypass island, there's a family of foxes that live on a large traffic island in Leicester just outside the city centre. I suppose it's pretty safe for them there, since you aren't going to get many humans and dogs walking about and it's sheltered with lots of foliage and trees.

When I lived in Portsmouth my student digs overlooked a small patch of wasteland where they'd knocked down a building. A vixen moved in and had two cubs. You could often see them playing in all the rubble and piles of sand. Was a nice distraction from all the hard studying!

Thing is Portsmouth is entirely built up with no wild space (aside from a muddy harbour), so these foxes were entirely urban. Must have been doing pretty well for themselves eating pigeons and takeaways to sustain a breeding population!
 
I must admit I was talking about the suburbs. I thought that the reason they'd moved into more urban areas was because of the hunting, but that wouldn't explain the increase in numbers as it started happening before hunting was banned and seems to be peeking now that it has, so I don't know.

Either way they are everywhere these days, personally though I like seeing them.
 
I'd rather have Japanese racoon dogs. According to folklore in Japan they have shape shifting testicles.
 
oldrover said:
I must admit I was talking about the suburbs. I thought that the reason they'd moved into more urban areas was because of the hunting, but that wouldn't explain the increase in numbers as it started happening before hunting was banned and seems to be peeking now that it has, so I don't know.

Either way they are everywhere these days, personally though I like seeing them.
Click to expand...
I get the impression they moved into urban/suburban areas simply because there was and is a ready food supply. Many people also go out of their way to feed them now that they are here.

My impression in this area of NW London is that foxes have largely out-competed the feral cats that used to live here (probably combined with neutering campaigns for the cats).
 
Be glad you have foxes, and not white-tail deer.

Beautiful creatures, but ol' Bambi is a pest. They dart into autos, causing damage and injury. People are sometimes trampled by panicked deer, and in the rutting season, the bucks will gore people. A few have died.

On the plus side, they devour poison ivy, the fawns are as cute as can be, and the sight of a buck with his does on a crisp fall morning is breathtaking.

This year, the deer were thin on the ground, year before they were as thick as fiddlers in Hell.

Year before, it was skunks, I prefer the deer.
l
 
markrkingston1 said:
I get the impression they moved into urban/suburban areas simply because there was and is a ready food supply. Many people also go out of their way to feed them now that they are here.

My impression in this area of NW London is that foxes have largely out-competed the feral cats that used to live here (probably combined with neutering campaigns for the cats).
Click to expand...

I'm sure you're right but what I don't get is what started this change around about 15 or s years ago?
 
krakenten said:
Want some raccoons?

We have lots....
Click to expand...

I'm fine for raccoons but if you've got any spare opossums going I'll take them off your hands.
 
oldrover said:
krakenten said:
Want some raccoons?

We have lots....
Click to expand...

I'm fine for raccoons but if you've got any spare opossums going I'll take them off your hands.
Click to expand...

I got a couple of Possums in the roof - you are welcome to pick them up as they are pretty noisy at night.
 
We have just watched two foxes from our office window, I presume they are looking for food as it has been very snowy of late. Although the factory borders onto countryside, I have been here 12 years and have never seen foxes before.
 
Maviself said:
We have just watched two foxes from our office window, I presume they are looking for food as it has been very snowy of late. Although the factory borders onto countryside, I have been here 12 years and have never seen foxes before.
Click to expand...

They may be hungry. Be careful when you are leaving...
 
Zilch5 said:
oldrover said:
krakenten said:
Want some raccoons?

We have lots....
Click to expand...

I'm fine for raccoons but if you've got any spare opossums going I'll take them off your hands.
Click to expand...

I got a couple of Possums in the roof - you are welcome to pick them up as they are pretty noisy at night.
Click to expand...

If you're sure and can give me direction from Severn bridge.
 
Fox attacked baby boy in own home, police say
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21399709

Boris Johnson has called for more to be done to tackle urban foxes - a typical one can be seen here

A four-week-old baby boy was attacked by a fox in his home in Bromley, the Metropolitan Police have said.

The boy was treated for a hand injury and taken to St Thomas' Hospital after the attack on 6 February, London Ambulance Service said.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "This sort of attack, though terrible, is rare, but we must do more to tackle the growing problem of urban foxes."

Police said their inquiries into the incident were continuing.

'Menace'
St Thomas' Hospital is not commenting on the incident.

Mr Johnson also said his thoughts were "with the baby boy and his family".

He added: "They may appear cuddly and romantic but foxes are also a pest and a menace, particularly in our cities.

"This must serve as a wake up call to London's borough leaders, who are responsible for pest control.

"They must come together, study the data, try to understand why this is becoming such a problem and act quickly to sort it out."

Mr Johnson has previously urged councils to take action over foxes following an attack in 2010 in which two baby sisters were mauled while sleeping at their home in Hackney, east London.

Both had to undergo surgery and were left scarred by the attack. Isabella Koupparis suffered arm injuries while her twin Lola suffered injuries to both her face and arm.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said it was extremely unusual for foxes to attack people and that the animal would only do so if it was afraid.

She added: "It's not typical fox behaviour at all. Foxes will come closer to a house if there are food sources. Then they can become quite bold, but they usually do back off and run away when there's people around."
Click to expand...
 
These reports always seem a bit fishy to me - I do wonder if there's an element of demonising urban foxes to give the plebs something to rant about while they slip less popular things - e.g. the bedroom tax - in under the radar. I mean, why do these foxes always make for the baby's/toddlers bedroom? Why do we never read about Great Uncle Oswald waking up to find a fox drinking from his tooth mug?
 
monops said:
These reports always seem a bit fishy to me - I do wonder if there's an element of demonising urban foxes to give the plebs something to rant about while they slip less popular things - e.g. the bedroom tax - in under the radar. I mean, why do these foxes always make for the baby's/toddlers bedroom? Why do we never read about Great Uncle Oswald waking up to find a fox drinking from his tooth mug?
Click to expand...

Perhaps babies smell tasty to a fox and old Uncle Oswald doesn't?
 
Mythopoeika said:
monops said:
These reports always seem a bit fishy to me - I do wonder if there's an element of demonising urban foxes to give the plebs something to rant about while they slip less popular things - e.g. the bedroom tax - in under the radar. I mean, why do these foxes always make for the baby's/toddlers bedroom? Why do we never read about Great Uncle Oswald waking up to find a fox drinking from his tooth mug?
Click to expand...

Perhaps babies smell tasty to a fox and old Uncle Oswald doesn't?
Click to expand...

There was a case not so long ago where it was suspected that a family dog had really caused the injuries.
 
People have always been aware of the danger of a cat getting on a baby and suffocating it -hence any sensible mother will invest in a cat net to go over the pram or cot. I cerainly had one for both of my children.

What sort of a family leaves not only the bedroom /living room door but the main front/back door open to allow access by a FOX? Or are we talking downstairs windows? Either way it strikes me as a very careless attitude bordering on neglect.
 
Recycled1 said:
What sort of a family leaves not only the bedroom /living room door but the main front/back door open to allow access by a FOX? Or are we talking downstairs windows? Either way it strikes me as a very careless attitude bordering on neglect.
Click to expand...

Especially in this weather!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top