[Picidae]

CONS!!!!!

Again, have to agree with hedgehoggy and DB on this. If this young fox had an ''indentity crisis'' it's purely down to the fact that it was encouraged to enter a domestic dwelling and then treated like a stray dog on a short term contract. Wild animals are not pets. They should not be treated as potential pets. They are not there to satisfy our own misplaced needy behaviour. Treating them as such puts them in a very serious risk of becoming victims of human aggression, road traffic accidents, inability to relate to their own species, inability to fend for themselves in the wild/risk of starvation (this especially applies to young animals/birds) illness due to the wrong foods being given .... as for suddenly cutting off an (indoor!!!) food supply after deliberately encouraging a young wild animal to rely on it because it had the 'audacity' not to be house trained is cruel in the extreme and very irresponsible.

Sorry Spaa - regardless of how 'kind' you were trying to be to a wild animal (and you are commended for caring btw) this was really not the way to go about things! Hopefully, you'll know what to do if there's another occasion where you have wild animals coming into the garden. The fox may return and by all means put some (appropriate!!) food in the garden but please keep your distance and call one of the rescue links provided by members on this thread)

For anybody generally reading this, WAB has some very experienced wild life rescue professionals amongst it's membership as well as those who have respected and extensive experience with Foxes. When they offer advice PLEASE heed it and if people want a canine pet - get a domestic dog! (although clearly not all people should even do that.)

( By the way, it is in fact illegal and a contravention of the Wildlife Act to 'rescue' then 'release' a wild animals/birds who are unable to fend for themselves in the wild. A situation like this, could potentially bring one very close to breaking the Law and may well rest on a case based legal interpretation of 'rescue' and 'release'!)