Identify Please - ? Deer or something else

[Rog]

This appeared in my garden in suburban London. Looks like a deer but behaves like a fox. What doesn't show in the picture is a quite long scraggy but a bit bushy tail. Plus it climbs fences in a very agile manner, not very deer-like at all.

A very strange looking creature. maybe some kind of crossbreed / hybrid ?

I'll get more pictures and or video if it reappears. My wife tells me she's seen it before.

[The Woodman]

It's a fox with what looks like the onset of sarcoptic mange.

[Rog]

Whew, that was quick ! Thanks. Its quite a big fox then, but not impossibly big, but a fox makes sense, we have loads on them in the area

[demicav]

Horrible disease that Sarcoptic mange

[Hedge Witch]

Hi Rog - I think I'd have been confused to. He's a strange looking fox.

[The Woodman]

Hi Rog, if it is mange - which could only be determined positively by a skin scrape - just be aware of the possibility of pets catching it from the fox if you have cats or dogs that use your garden.

It could also be carrying all sorts of intestinal parasites with a coat in that "staring" condition. Clean up any fox poo in your garden as well.

[gess]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

Hi Rog, if it is mange - which could only be determined positively by a skin scrape - just be aware of the possibility of pets catching it from the fox if you have cats or dogs that use your garden.

It could also be carrying all sorts of intestinal parasites with a coat in that "staring" condition. Clean up any fox poo in your garden as well.

Yes its in a sorry state by the looks... really uncomfortable for the poor thing.
As woodman says please heed the above, I have a relative who's dog has caught it twice now from the local little visitor to the garden....

Gess

[Hedgehoggy]

Poor fox looks very uncomfortable The Fox Welfare Society send out free sarcoptic mange treatment to anybody willing to feed an infected fox visiting their garden. Sarcoptic mange is easily treatable and the free medicine is administered on a jam or honey sandwich every night.

NFWS Fox Rescue and Sarcoptic Mange Information Site-We also supply mange treatment for foxes suffering from Sarcoptic Mange known also as Canine Mange and Fox Mange

[gess]

Hedgehoggy

thats a really useful link, thank you

Gess

[Rog]

Originally Posted by Rog

This appeared in my garden in suburban London. Looks like a deer but behaves like a fox. What doesn't show in the picture is a quite long scraggy but a bit bushy tail. Plus it climbs fences in a very agile manner, not very deer-like at all.

A very strange looking creature. maybe some kind of crossbreed / hybrid ?

I'll get more pictures and or video if it reappears. My wife tells me she's seen it before.

Originally Posted by The Woodman

Hi Rog, if it is mange - which could only be determined positively by a skin scrape - just be aware of the possibility of pets catching it from the fox if you have cats or dogs that use your garden.

It could also be carrying all sorts of intestinal parasites with a coat in that "staring" condition. Clean up any fox poo in your garden as well.

Thanks everyone.

Yes I have a dog, a delightful elderly rottie crossbreed, so poo pick up session in the morning I think. I'm not a wildlife expert, but this looked so odd I just wasn't sure what it was.