Are urban foxes becoming a problem ?
By oldchem1
@oldchem1 (8132)
July 28, 2010 4:23am CST
Once again in Britain there is more news about a fox attack on humans.
This time it was a 13 year old girl who was bit when she was camping with friends in her garden in Surrey; the fox bit a hole through the tent and grabbed the girls leg.
This follows several attacks including twin 9 month old babies who have been scarred for life, and a 3 year old bit by a fox in a playground at a nursery - these 2 attacks are all within one month.
Urban foxes have been known to be a problem with scavenging in the past and killing pets and poultry, but these latest attacks do concern me.
Do you think we could be heading for problems with these animals and what can we do to stop it?
2 people like this
5 responses
@nancyrowina (3850)
•
28 Jul 10
Since they stopped fox hunting the population of foxes has probably increased and that's why we are seeing more attacks. And there's also the people who feed them making them less scared of humans, the case with the two babies was quite disturbing as the fox actually came into the house.
I don't think we should bring back fox hunting as it's barbaric, and poison is also cruel. the most humane way seems to to be to get a pest control guy to shoot them, at least they die instantly. There are guys who can do it without even trapping them first so the animal wouldn't suffer at all.
1 person likes this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
28 Jul 10
I think i have not seen one in last 15 years, earlier we had in my city, but the cutting of trees, jungles , new townships, rapid industrialation drove them away, now they are a rare commodity..
Thanks for sharing.
Welcome always. 
Cheers.
Professor
Cheers.
Professor
1 person likes this
@hvedra (1619)
•
28 Jul 10
I think half the problem is that urban foxes are too well fed. We throw away so much food that they have easy pickings (this is why we also have a huge rat problem) and their numbers have dramatically increased.
If we cut off their easy food supply their numbers would drop and there would be less of a problem.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
28 Jul 10
They won't get culled because that is what the ban on hunting was all about. I'll leave the country if it ever gets brought back in.
As for the foxes themselves. Well, they go where the food is; rather like seagulls that don't seem to like being near the sea anymore. Why? Because there's food further inland. If I was a seagull (or a fox for that matter) I would prefer to be an urban dweller.
Think about it; it's common sense. The sooner we put a stop to more of those fast food outlets the happier I will be. We are a throwaway society and the likes of the fox are just taking advantage..and are becoming braver, hence the attacks (which I don't condone by the way) I just can't see why the fox should get the blame.
It's US.
As for the foxes themselves. Well, they go where the food is; rather like seagulls that don't seem to like being near the sea anymore. Why? Because there's food further inland. If I was a seagull (or a fox for that matter) I would prefer to be an urban dweller.
Think about it; it's common sense. The sooner we put a stop to more of those fast food outlets the happier I will be. We are a throwaway society and the likes of the fox are just taking advantage..and are becoming braver, hence the attacks (which I don't condone by the way) I just can't see why the fox should get the blame.
It's US. @elfbwillow (307)
•
28 Jul 10
Seeing those poor twin babies after the attack sent shivers down my spine. It is truley terrifying to think that a fox has done this and my thoughts are with the girls and others who have been attacked.
I have lived in the country all my life and only ever once seen a fox roaming around, though luckily he scarpered in the headlights of our car.
I think that the main problem is that some people do not seem to understand the dangers of feeding foxes. Perhaps the way forward is to offer more detailed information to people in the hope that they think twice before feeding them in the future. I dont think that unbanning fox hunting is a good idea, though, but will we be over run by foxes in the future and what then? As a sport, though, I just think it is wrong.
@Suminundu (192)
• Malaysia
28 Jul 10
oldchem, urban foxes there in that region (area) might have acquired the taste of human flesh or they are depleted of normal food so that they forage in that camping vicinity. Human eating foxes have to be killed before they killed human. I think that is a fair human action on foxes. In fact in your place there are fox hunters.
