Feeding foxes with leftovers (again)

I was woken up again during the night on account of screaming foxes, which I accept is part and parcel of living in an area at this time of year which has quite a large fox population. What I cannot accept, however, is people leaving left over food out for these wild animals and encouraging them further into the area…

I understand that a certain couple on Ebsworth St in Honor Oak are back to their old tricks and have recently left some spare ribs out for the local vermin to devour in recent days, with not a thought for the resulting mess made nor for domestic animals that will be attracted to this food source and could end up choking,

This in my mind is simply unacceptable and what I consider to be anti social behaviour that should not be allowed to continue; given the offence this pair have caused in the past by behaving this way they clearly have a total lack of empathy for a number of people that live in the surrounding area.

Disappointing,

I agree with you, @Jerry, and there’s an ongoing report for this on FixMyStreet.com.

https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/551917

The council have now visited this couple several times and to be fair they’re not feeding the foxes nearly as regularly as they did before.

I’d advise anyone concerned to add their comments and re-open the issue on FixMyStreet (currently marked as “fixed” by the council)

Update on FixMyStreet today:

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At it again:

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… and if anyone saw a crazed, middle-aged man in a onesie running up and down Ebsworth Street scaring away noisy foxes tonight… that was me

I think that the Council need to get pest control in to put them down humanely. And then deal with the foxes.

That brought a genuine belly laugh. Thank you.

That was fun. You made me laugh lol
Anyway Forest Hill is full of foxes.
Who knows, maybe that couple need an eye check up on Specsavers

FYI, all concerned:

They closed your old report, without fixing the issue.
I’ve started a new report and will go through Community Trigger if it doesn’t stop.

Good stuff @Cari_Hoskins.

Leaving plastic cartons of meat in the street, or pouring dogfood onto the street, is really antisocial behaviour and the council need to take it seriously.

Irritating that council workers would close a FixMyStreet report on the basis that it’s “old” as opposed to being fixed.

The kind of idiots who feed foxes by leaving out rib bones are usually the kind of idiots who don’t know a thing about foxes and that a fox’s jaw isn’t powerful enough bite through a rib bone.

It’s not the ribs/ they want, its the additives and chemical flavourings there are crazy for. They only have to suck a lot to get their fix of those.

Does the Community Trigger only work if the food is left out on the street?
I ask because I know of several people who buy food specifically for foxes and leave it in their gardens. This means anyone living near them has to put up with the noise, mess and having their gardens trashed, as the foxes break fences to reach the food.

This is the first time I have heard about of community trigger, but from what I read they are for anti social behaviour. The Met defines anti social behaviour to include

https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/what-is-antisocial-behaviour/

"Rowdy or nuisance neighbours: This covers any rowdy behaviour or general nuisance caused by neighbours, including boundary and parking disputes. It also covers noise nuisance from parties or playing loud music.

Animal problems: This covers any situation where animals are creating a nuisance or people’s behaviour associated with the use of animals is deemed as antisocial. It includes uncontrolled animals, stray dogs, barking, fouling and intimidation by an animal."

So, it seems to me it would cover the situation you describe

Dropping food on the street is littering and an offence. But feeding foxes on your own property is not. If the noise disturbs you, hard luck. They were here first.

Many things, good and bad, were “here first”. That doesn’t give them any kind of license.

I remember suffering church bells ringing at anti-social times when I lived in Rotherhithe. People said the “church was here first”. True. But what was appropriate behaviour in the 19th century is not always appropriate for modern day life in the 21st century. We shouldn’t be afraid to challenge anti-social behaviour simply in order to preserve the status quo or the “natural order of things”

And given that foxes migrated into cities in the 1930s it’s not necessarily accurate to claim they were “here first”

Let’s not also forget that rats were here first but nobody particularly appreciates rats when they come into your property.

They too are also attracted to food left out!

They were here before it was a city. But you know that.

And church bells are not a living being so are again irrelevant as far as being persecuted for convenience goes.

I have no problem with rats coming through the garden either. They do no harm. All animals are innocent and should be treated with respect.

This topic is now in slow mode as it has proved contentious previously. Please keep all discussion friendly and on topic, even if you disagree. Thank you.

Updated: https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/2497342

By CER, they hopefully mean this:

Innocent but not harmless. And we needn’t tolerate the anti-social behaviour of people leaving rotting food in the street.

3 posts were merged into an existing topic: Posts moved from Feeding Foxes with Leftovers thread

2 posts were split to a new topic: Posts moved from Feeding Foxes with Leftovers thread

You shouldn’t feed any animals.

That goes for other peoples cats you think are hungry, foxes, pigeons, ducks, geese, swans, grey squirrels and even cute parakeets. They’re feral animals and don’t need us to feed them. The only exception I’d say is native song birds because they’re so hard pressed by cats and only inside a squirrel proof feeder.

But as for the fox noise… they congregate where there’s food and are a part of the landscape.

My friend ended up in a&e this week after feeding some squirrels and one bit through her fingernail. Very painful, quite mortifying and she was quite embarrassed about having to go to a&e when they’re so busy… They are wild animals…

The only animal I would possibly add to that list that we should feed (and build shelters for) would be hedgehogs, though I’ve never seen one in SE23 in the 15 or so years we have been here (I think they are around though).

They won’t need feeding now though!

Before we got our cat we had a bird feeder and had all sorts of birds eating from it (it was squirrel proof, though they were clever) - it was fantastic. I’d also add that whilst ducks don’t really need feeding, taking your children to do it can start to build a great relationship with wildlife which has other benefits in later years for all wild animals.

True I almost added the old hedgehog but like you say sadly no longer really around. And also the issue with feeding hedgehogs is that you’re more than likely feeding the local fox or cat.

I see your point with the kids as long as it’s bird feed and not bread or someone’s left over lunch.