Wild Fox

[jj270204]

Can anybody tell me if Foxes can climb fences, ie a 7 foot fence. I am a little concerned as there are a lot of foxes where I live and they seem to be multiplying rather alarmingly. The point is, my 12 year old sons rabbit has dissapeared from our garden and there is no trace of how or where. Last night my son called me as there was an adult fox sitting on the lawn in my garden. When I tried to get him out by shouting at it, it just gave me a look of complete disgust and casually stood up and scrambled over the fence! I also have a 4 year son who often plays out there on his own. Is he in danger??

[Words]

A 7 foot fence is a bit high for a fox, but not impossible if there is anything they can step up on to for a bit of a leg-up. They can also (more likely) get through any small gap in the bottom of the fence. As a general rule if a cat can get in, so can a fox. And if there's a low exit point anywhere, a rabbit could use that. A few years back our rabbit escaped by (we think) going over a four foot wall (6 foot the other side). We found it sheltering under a parked car several hundred yards away.

Foxes are mainly nocturnal, but are sometimes seen during the day. At this time of year they are possibly a bit more active (and visible) because cubs will have been born in the last week or so. The supporting adults are out looking for food to take back. Rabbits should be ok if they are in secure cages, but they will attract foxes. They also attract mice to the garden, and foxes are as likely to hunt for them.

A fox is very unlikely to attack a human and they tend to run at the first sign of any rapid movement, so waving arms etc will scare them off. There's a bit more information on The Fox Website which has been developed by the University of Bristol. Probably the most authoritative source of information.

[tigger]

Totally agree with Words. If the rabbit was running around the garden, then the fox probably had him I'm afraid. They are unlikely to attack humans (unless very ill or feeling threatened). Have a look at the Bristol website.

[galanthus]

Foxes are not really into attacking people as Words says and is likely to be more frightened of you.

Shame about your rabbit, maybe it's just escaped into a neighbouring garden, however, seems like a good tiime to sit your son down in front of the window with a wildlife book onto fox page and help him acknowledge and appreciate his native wildlife. Never know, you may spark of a life-long obsession like us lot

[tufftie]

You're lucky to have foxes in your garden and you never know they may even bring their cubs in when they're old enough They wont attack you unless they're feeling cornered and threatened and then, well any animal would. There are plenty of pet bunnies and things where I live at the moment and also lots of foxes - as long as you have them in a secure cage / run then they should be just fine

[witham]

We had some call ducks in a what we thought was a secure pen, but one afternoon, I found one missing and the rest with their heads bitten off, we followed the trail of feathers to one corner of the pen and out the other side and out into the back field, we had buried the bottom of the wire so there wasn't a gap for it to get underneath but my husband had put a fence post at an angle from the corner post to strenthen it and it seemed to have climbed out up that and on the other side was shrub which it must have used to get in, they are very cunning and it had perhaps been 'visiting' for a while before working out how to get in

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by witham

We had some call ducks in a what we thought was a secure pen, but one afternoon, I found one missing and the rest with their heads bitten off, we followed the trail of feathers to one corner of the pen and out the other side and out into the back field, we had buried the bottom of the wire so there wasn't a gap for it to get underneath but my husband had put a fence post at an angle from the corner post to strenthen it and it seemed to have climbed out up that and on the other side was shrub which it must have used to get in, they are very cunning and it had perhaps been 'visiting' for a while before working out how to get in

Sounds more like the work of a Mink to me. Mink are a very very destructive animal and often kill when they are not hungry.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by ron1863

Sounds more like the work of a Mink to me. Mink are a very very destructive animal and often kill when they are not hungry.

Biting off heads and surplus killing are often traits associated with foxes, who often cash the head away from the body and return later. I know mink have got alot of bad press but it is very uncommon for them to kill without eating atleast part of their prey. It costs energy to hunt, leaving prey uneaten would be highly unbeneficial to the predator. In the case of surplus killing in a small pen with domestic birds in it, this would never be experienced in a natural situation so predators have evolved with prey flying off, this is believed to be the reason they go into a killing frenzy in a comfined area as the prey carnt escape.

[willing to learn]

A fox can clear 7ft easily we have had one in a 8ft pheasant release pen.
Thought we had it cornered it cleared it like a bullet from a gun Yes they do bite as my daugters friend can vouch for they had a famly of foxes resident in there garden which they thought was great. Until the dog got mange, the oldest of the daughters got a bite, that a pitbull would be proud of.
The funny thing my daughter got some stick at school, as alittle project was run at her school on this family of foxes photos updates ect. The kids knew I shot and keepered at the time and she came home crying from cruel jibes.
To cut along story short I wonder who was called in to move the foxes.
I don't think foxes should be fed in gardens, they can soon become a problem.
As our pet dogs they also carry the same diseases, so pets dogs can catch them. Also the can have the worm's that can blind children and adults.
Foxes and rats are not an animals I would want in contact with children.
Regards
Colin

[Grrrrrr]

True, although dogs carry the same worms and that doesn't seem to shame some of the owners round here from clearing up after them. Kid more likely to be blinded by dog faeces than fox here. When all is said and done they are wild animals and should be treated as such... with care!