Advice on urban foxes
February 11, 2013 Iain Roberts 11 Comments

Urban foxes are increasingly a part of our lives. Cycling through the centre of Edgeley at 6am last week (not by choice!) a fox padded up behind me and kept up with my bike for well over 100m. In Gatley I’ve had foxes playing in the back garden. Foxes can be more of a problem, though – residents have reported pets and other animals being killed by them.

This document gives advice on what you can do if urban foxes are a problem for you.

environment, green spaces

11 Comments

1
Frederick Kenny
Sunday 17 February 2013 - 11:39 am

This document does not appear to be accurate re:~-

“No foxes attack people?
No. There is no confirmed case of this ever happening.”

Well that’s not true according to the Metropolitan Police

Fox attacked baby boy in own home, police say
BBC News ‎- 6 days ago
A four-week-old baby boy was attacked by a fox in his home in south London, the Metropolitan Police says.
-see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21399709

Its amazing such a silly publication can be issued after such publicity on recent attacks on babies by foxes.

2
Iain Roberts
Sunday 17 February 2013 - 12:45 pm

Hi Frederick,

The document is from 2003 – will be interesting to see if the police get to the bottom of what happened down in London.

3
Phillip Gould-Bourn
Sunday 17 February 2013 - 12:55 pm

I am not a fan of anything that attacks children and pets and would comment;
We have had foxes in our garden for 30 years and have seen them flee when confronted by any of our cats.
I see them often on my allotment where they help keep down rats and mice.
Surely the numbers would decrease if we didn’t leave so much waste food that attracts them.It seems to me that we have contributed to the problem ourselves.
I am quite happy to live with wildlife to some degree, but would feel different if under threat.If you make an effort to fence in your garden,leave no hiding places for the fox, and leave no food out I cannot see that it would bother with you.
I would be interested to see a comparison of the number of dog attacks on children and pets to those by foxes.Don’t get me wrong-I am a dog fan as well,I just wouldn’t want a knee jerk reaction to this situation.

4
Paula Isherwood
Sunday 17 February 2013 - 1:04 pm

The media are panicing again! Foxes are timid creatures and I can only presume that this poor fox was desperate. Who leaves a young baby unguarded in a house with a door open in early February? Nobody with any sense.

We have foxes on Gatley carrs I believe, but they are very rarely seen. I am down there every day, twice per day but haven’t seen one for years. However I remember a TV programme years ago when a fox was raiding a dustbin and was seen off by a cat!

5
Robert Taggart
Sunday 17 February 2013 - 1:28 pm

LOL – most townies supported the ban on fox hunting – now Reynard ‘bites the hand that feeds him’ !

6
Paula Isherwood
Sunday 17 February 2013 - 2:34 pm

A large percentage of country dweller also support the ban on fox hunting. The riders charge over farm land causing damage to crops, kill dogs and cats and kill foxes with unbearable cruelty. We no longer support bear baiting and cock fighting and it is no longer humane in this day and age to chase a fox over miles of country until it is exhausted and then tear it to pieces for the pleasure of some red coated toff.

Unfortunately the urban fox has had its natural living space eroded by an increasing population and has no alternative but to come into town but it is a beautiful animal and is more frightened of you than you should be of him.

7
Jean Skitt
Sunday 17 February 2013 - 10:24 pm

Well said Paula !

8
Robert Taggart
Sunday 17 February 2013 - 10:48 pm

Talking countryside – Silly Cows !

9
Rebecca
Sunday 17 February 2013 - 11:01 pm

I disagree, one of these supposedly \timid\ and \beautiful\ creatures from Gatley Carrs sadly killed our six month old cat back in January (killed not ate may I add). Due to this horrible experience I am of the belief that urban foxes are becoming a menace.

We have a fenced garden, do not feed foxes, and we always put rubbish in wheelie bins with lids (they are not spilling over). Before anybody says that we shouldn’t have let our cat out, or that cats are more likely to be killed by cars, a) cats should be allowed out to toilet and get exercise; b) it doesn’t really matter whether he would have been more likely to be killed by a car, the bottom line is that he wasn’t, he was killed by an urban fox.

As for the person who lays blame with the mother of the baby who was bitten – have you never left the door open when you were putting rubbish in your wheelie bin? I’m sure the mother did not intend to leave her baby at risk of attack by a vicious predator.

10
Joan
Monday 18 February 2013 - 8:25 am

My thoughts exactly Paula!

11
David Johnson
Wednesday 20 February 2013 - 11:20 am

I like dogs, cats in the home, birds, squirrels, fish and enjoy seeing them. With regret I am clear that most deaths & hurt are caused in my garden by domestic cats – particularly to birds and my pond fish. In the UK far more death and injury is caused by human beings than foxes. The rare sighting of a fox in my garden (once a mother with cubs some years ago) is a delight. Leave them to live and put our efforts into preventing and deterring real troubles – by using cat bells and stronger disincentives to criminal activity.



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