Huge fox

Interesting little story......I wonder how unusual such large foxes really are among urban populations?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20110102/tod-biggest-ever-fox-caught-in-britain-870a197.html

Why not release them else where? I think that's a interesting find but I don't know why they killed both of them. it should be entitled largest fox found & killed in Britain.

morelia wrote:Interesting little story......I wonder how unusual such large foxes really are among urban populations?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20110102/tod-biggest-ever-fox-caught-in-britain-870a197.html

I think it has become more common due to people in urban areas actualy leaving food out for foxes over the years, not just intentionally but also the fact that we as humans are building more and more houses and our towns and cities are eating more and more into the countryside, we're encroaching on their territory.

Tan wrote:Why not release them else where? I think that's a interesting find but I don't know why they killed both of them. it should be entitled largest fox found & killed in Britain.

Some people don't think like that Tan,

4 dead chickens and a dead cat = kill the foxes

Don't like foxes much, especially as they just seem to kill for the hell of it, lost a whole aviary full of birds in the Zoo some years ago when a fox got in, killed everything it could and ate nothing. Must be one of the few predator species that kill more than they need.
John

but the foxes were here before us. im 50/50 on it.
they deserve to live somewhere, but im also all for setting the dogs on them, or shooting them.

i remember years aga an old boy round here had on as a house dog. walked it, housetrained it and all................

I guess its partly our fault that we have made conditions so good for them, and they are so adaptable, why are so common and doing very well.

Its in a fox's nature to kill more than is necessary and eat only what it needs; it will hoard the rest. This allows the fox to 'store' food in case lean times occur....its hedging its bets against a shortfall in food availability. Its this habit that people don't like and for animal keepers, rightly so as it can mean whole flocks / broods / groups of livestock lost.

I am of the opinion that as we have in part caused the problem i.e. too many foxes, then it is also our responsibility to in part keep them in check and at least try to redress the imbalance in nature. The same goes for Magpies, Hooded Crows and rodents. The means of control is open to debate but few country-wise folk would debate that it is necessary.

Anyhoo, back to the topic....big ginger fox. I agree Tan why did it have to be shot? If its such an enigma why not capture it, measure / weigh it and let it go, so other locals in the area can see it for themselves.

trunx wrote:but the foxes were here before us. im 50/50 on it.
they deserve to live somewhere, but im also all for setting the dogs on them, or shooting them.

i remember years aga an old boy round here had on as a house dog. walked it, housetrained it and all................

This.

Holy moly Joe, that post has to bring laziness to new heights

Seriously though, I don't live in an area where I'm affected hugely by them and like anything I may have a slightly different view if I lost animals to them but I do think everything has a right to its life, its where to find the balance is hard. You'll can't keep all the people happy all the time...but over all I do like them & will happily sit & watch them if I'm lucky to see one.

As far as smell goes, wow, I've found vixen is worse then dog urine wise but others may disagree. Whatever your thinking, they do have an interesting, lingering odour.

hehehe yeah it was
We had chickens once
9 or 10....
3-4 weeks later we had this many.... 0
Damn fox(es) had killed them all.
Not only that, but they went to the bother of digging gigantic holes under the damn pen then killed them and ate one in total or at least dragges it off somewhere.....not at once but gradually over the 3-4 weeks we had none left. at that point my Mum told my Dad no more chickens as it was cruel if they were gonna be eaten.
Was a bit pointless tbh that they only ate the one
But like you say Tan, they are fun to watch sometimes when there crossing the back garden and stuff, all sneaky hoping not to be seen