# Fox bites child.



## raynipper

After watching the news about an urban fox chewing a childs finger off, there are calls for culling them.
Terrible as it was for the child and parents, it seems foxes were regular visitors to the garden.

Attacks like this are extremely rare but of course some sections of the media will be baying for their extermination.
I can't help thinking about all the innocent victims who have been killed and wounded by drug gang shoot outs. Somehow we don't hear the same baying for their extermination.

OK, now I know this will generate some replies that foxes are not the same as gang members but it's the reaction to the numbers game that amazes me.

Ray.


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## Pudsey_Bear

You can't call for a cull for this sort of thing, you could ask for more litter bins which foxes can't get into, and try and make the late night **** heads use them, so food is removed from the foxes who will then move back to the countryside where they should be, and the numbers will naturally fall as they only breed larger litters if there is food available, nature knows best.

But it is nice to see a fox in the garden every so often, we have a few around here.


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## raynipper

I think it was Boris that was hinting at 'controlling' fox numbers. But also about the amount of rubbish bags left out with food in them.

Ray.


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## SaddleTramp

TBH I find it rather strange that Foxes have been going into gardens ever since gardens have been there and Have been going into inner city gardens the same and there has been no reports in the past of such events as these, (a couple recently).
All happening since fox hunting was made ilegal 
Trying to find a solution may not be the way, lets have a look at the cause 

Waste bins now are much harder to get into for food. ?
There is now much less waste as people are cutting back. ?

Just a thought ?.


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## GEMMY

ERM :?: :?: :?: 

How did a fox get into a house, it's winter, nobody leaves doors open for ventilation, let alone windows 8O 8O 8O 

tony


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## Penquin

Strictly {offtopic} but relevant.......

I was at the back of one of our open barns/garages trying to extract some replacement roofing tiles from a pile behind a lot of metal sheets and suddenly realised that something was trying to get out 3m to my side.....

exit one large, healty but hopefully, scared fox......

it ran across our garden and I am hopeful that I can deter it from returning - any suggestions would be welcomed but we do not possess any firearms to give it a headcahe......

Quite a surprise though to me (and I hope the fox), I just hope it was all by itself and does not have an entire den behind there - but feel I may have to do some extraction of bits to ensure that..... :roll: 

Meanwhile I have strung some fine netting around to hopefully deter it (and possibly entrap it..  )

Dave


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## GEMMY

We have foxes, badgers,pheasants,grouse(s) :lol: all invade our garden, On one occasion we had a very sick looking fox, the wife got a tin of 'chappie' liberally injected it with penicillin, over the course of a week it was getting quite healthy. :wink: 

tony


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## spykal

Penquin said:


> snipped..I am hopeful that I can deter it from returning - any suggestions would be welcomed but we do not possess any firearms


For the next few days when you need to take a "leak" mark out the barn as Your territory !

Mike


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## 5bells

Try putting yourself in the place of the poor child or her parents.

Foxes do need their numbers reducing.

Oops better be careful what I say or I will have all those animal activists threatening, the same as they did with the poor woman who's child was bitten last time


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## nicholsong

GEMMY said:


> ERM :?: :?: :?:
> 
> How did a fox get into a house, it's winter, nobody leaves doors open for ventilation, let alone windows 8O 8O 8O
> 
> tony


Valid Q.

Maybe slept under the stairs? But OUT again?

Cat-trap?

Obviously the reporters were no 'investigative journalists'

Geoff


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## Spacerunner

Seeing the state of city streets (Winchester) early in the mornings I'm sure foxes regard our territory as virtual open air banqueting halls.
Couple that with fortnightly bin emptying we have reaped what has be sown.

The only way to cut fox numbers down is to build more motorways. There is always a goodly number of fresh kills overnight.
Much more efficient that tally-ho-ing across the countryside where you will find far fewer foxes than there are in our towns and cities. After all what self-respecting fox wants to work for its food when it can wander our streets and get fat on our take/throwaways.


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## Penquin

and the embankments of the motorways, like railway sides, provide a safe route along between areas......

foxes only have a problem when they go across motorways or railways - going along it is perfectly safe and free from human interference.....

such was the route that many rural foxes took to enable them to migrate and become urban foxes.....

where the colonies are now well established and fed by well meaning residents who either deliberately leave suitable food out for them or are wasteful with their own food and leave it for the foxes to scent - hmmm....... nice chicken carcass smell from that plastic bag - might split it open and have a dig for my midnight snack as it's out here for a few days before the bin men collect....

Dave


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## raynipper

Your right about their routes Dave.
I seem to remember reading about a fox that nearly made the 22 miles through The Tunnel. Can't remember what happened to it but the Rabies issue came up.

Ray.


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## Glandwr

Urban foxes were unheard of until 30-40 years ago. Now they are breeding at a phenomenal rate. A country vixen will limit her cubs to 3/4 to raise. This is the number she can expect to feed.

Urban foxes are now raising litters of 7/8 due to the availability of food dust bins and takeaway litter. Something will have to be done before long.

Dick


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## peedee

Oddly enough this morning I saw my first urban fox at 1030 a.m. I have lived here over 30 years and have walked the area most days and never seen one. I've seen them when out walking in the countryside but never in town! 

Perhaps the cold weather is enticing them in but it seems to me the BBc's headline " Are urban foxes on the increase" is true!

peedee


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## prof20

I listened to part of a debate on this subject this lunchtime on Radio 2 with Jeremy Vine.

Please don't shoot the messenger, (or the foxes), all you dog lovers out there (which does include me), and, not wishing to put the fox in the hen-coop, but one guy defending the foxes against the suggestion of a cull made the point of, 'What about the 12,000 people hospitalized each year because of bites by family dogs, and what about the children savaged and killed by them? Are we going to cull them?

No one had an answer for that, apart from to mention various breeds recognised as not to be trusted.

Another guy, (can't remember his name), but definitely upper-class tried to blame the ban on foxhunting as the reason for the rise in the urban fox. 

He was made to sound rather silly.

I recall seeing loads of foxes roaming Leeds housing estates in the early hours of the morning over the last forty years when I was in the Police patrolling the streets, and I have recently seen them in our street during the early hours.


Roger


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## GEMMY

Also, interesting point made, if they get rid of the foxes, what will they do for the explosion of the rat population that will ensue. 8) 

tony


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## aldra

It is sad for the child and family

But it should be kept in proportion

If there are a vast number of urban foxes they obviously don't make a habit of attacking babies 

They on the main scavenge our rubbish

I for one would happily feed them but they are unlikely to appear in my garden

Aldra


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## Penquin

GEMMY said:


> Also, interesting point made, if they get rid of the foxes, what will they do for the explosion of the rat population that will ensue. 8)
> 
> tony


ratatouille ?

sorry, I'll get my coat......

haven't seen the fox I disturbed yesterday in our garage, the hunters were in our woods yesterday so I suppose it could have been disturbed by them and sought refuge in our garage...... 

I haven't yet tried Spykal's method of territory marking (it was snowing earlier so no chance of such things.......) :lol:

Dave


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## aldra

What you can't p** in the snow Penguin?? :lol: :lol: 

Aldra


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## prof20

[quote="Penquin"
I haven't yet tried Spykal's method of territory marking (it was snowing earlier so no chance of such things.......) :lol:

Dave[/quote]

Be careful Dave,
One frozen member is enough!

Roger


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## DTPCHEMICALS

Fox is thought to have entered through a damaged back door which was waiting repaires by the local council.

People jump to knee jerk reactions over rare incidents like this but really don`t give a toss when we go around rhe world killing many thousands of civilians.
Lets put it into perspective, the fox has a right to a life. We do not shoot jail birds for a mugging or murder

Dave p


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## raynipper

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Fox is thought to have entered through a damaged back door which was waiting repaires by the local council.
> 
> People jump to knee jerk reactions over rare incidents like this but really don`t give a toss when we go around rhe world killing many thousands of civilians.
> Lets put it into perspective, the fox has a right to a life. We do not shoot jail birds for a mugging or murder
> 
> Dave p


Yeah.!!!!!

Ray.


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## peedee

I think it stands to reason that if their numbers are not controlled the population will increase as long as there is food around and they don't die from disease. I think currently, isn't mange a big problem amongst foxes? 

peedee


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## spykal

Hi

I think if there was more publicity given to the fact that fox makes a nice stew and an Excellent Pasta  some of the problem foxes could be put to good use in our urban areas.

Rooks are nice too in May time but please leave the hedgehogs alone as they are in decline.

Mike


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## 5bells

I can't believe the hypocrisy I am reading.

What about empathy for ones fellow human being?

I know I am repeating my words from a previous post but rats have a right to a life too, its only because they dont have bright eyes and shiny noses as does the fox that the fox gets all this empathy and cooing over. They also look a bit like doggies dont they :roll:

A friend of mine died after catching rabies from a bat in the UK, is it relevent? not at the moment, but just see how cuddly the fox would be then if ever the unthinkable happened.


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## SaddleTramp

Well lets put 2 and 2 and maybe come up with six, I am going to ask probably the "Not So Obvious" questions.

As was pointed out earlier, "How did the fox get in in winter when all doors and windows would be shut tight" ?

It was also stated that it got in through a damaged door that was awaiting council repair, "Who in their right mind would NOT block a damaged door up in this weather" ?

I heard two statements via Tv/Radio news :- 
1. The babies mother had to pull the baby from the foxes mouth in a tug of war"!
2. The fox chewed the babies finger off.!

Then it was also stated that the finger was reattached by surgeons !!

My questions 
1. If the fox was so hungry to attack a baby for food and it either a. chewed the finger off, or b. it was pulled off in a tug of war indicating that the fox wouldn't let go, How come it released the finger for it to be sewn on by surgeons ? 
surely it would have eaten it or at the very least taken it with it when it escaped via the damaged door?

2. Does the family have a pet dog ??.

Just my thoughts.


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## salmonfisher

*Foxes*

The problem is not the Foxes, Badgers or any other wild animals. It is of cause the anti anything brigade. Watching to much television,all these animals etc would be self regulating, if left to be wild. Bet they wouldn't open a tin of cat food on their own. just leave em be. John.


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## thegamwellsmythes

I'd like to see the result of the Police investigation before getting wound up about foxes. Don't get me wrong I hope the child makes a full recovery. The child did nothing to deserve it and must have been terrified of whatever it was, pet dog or fox.

According to Chris Packham you are statistically more likely to be bitten by another human being in this country than you are to be bitten by a fox. Now what were we saying about a cull? (Not sure where he go the stat from though).


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## peedee

spykal said:


> please leave the hedgehogs alone as they are in decline.
> 
> Mike


Yes the foxes have eaten most of them 

peedee


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## 5bells

Maybe this was a dog?or maybe the fox was trying to help.(I don't think so somehow)

These kids did not deserve this  http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2010/07/01/fox-attack-twins-show-scars

Read this and then play amateur detective


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