Archived on 6/5/2022

Fox Fatalities

Hamish
19 Aug '19

We are used to seeing and hearing foxes in and around our street. Was the same when we lived on Gipsy Hill.

Their calls and wails are unnerving when you first hear them as they sound like children/babies in pain. Once you recognise them though, they are unmistakably Vulpes.

We’ve heard parent ones calling kids, lovers calling soulmates and on one occasion heard and witnessed a comical boxing match between two rival Tods.

However on Friday night late on, I heard some calls which sounded much different. More urgent, more in pain, more pleading.

It was after 2am and pitch black so I didn’t venture to see what was going on. The racket was severe but it did seem like a single animal. Either way I wasn’t chancing a defensive nibble which would demand all sorts of hospital assistance.

The next morning we woke to find a dead fox at the foot of our garden, It looked adult. There were no apparent wounds.

Lewisham refuse appeared earlier after I reported and helpfully took away. Quick, efficient and polite as ever. Though no disinfecting offered.

The chap did say however that they had picked up seven dead foxes in the area since Friday.

Clearly more than coincidence. His suspicion was poisoning. Which goes some way to understanding the nature of the poor soul’s calls.

Absolutely appreciate that Foxes are an animal that split opinions.

However you look at them though: be it as pests, as neighbours or not at all, there are the right way to deal with them and the wrong.

Such poisoning is cruel, environmentally negative and potential dangerous to families and children.

Posting this so people can have a check on their own properties, neighbourhoods and pets.

Also to compare similar stories.

Once again, this post is not aimed as a debate about the pros and cons of such animals in our neighbourhoods.

It’s to raise awareness of the cruel and potentially dangerous methods someone employed upon these poor animals, in our shared neighbourhoods.

ForestHull
19 Aug '19

There was a dead one on the pavement beside Houston Road on August 7th. It didn’t look traumatised or of ill health, except blood coming from it’s mouth and I wondered how it may have got to that position and death. Poisoning sounds plausible, and worrying as you say.

The council removed it within a day, which was very good at least.

weepy
19 Aug '19

A neighbour had a dead one in their front garden. Poisoning is possible but seems kinda unlikely?

They really are horrible to have around though. Faeces, vomit, rotting chicken on a regular basis in your garden is not nice especially with children.

ForestHull
19 Aug '19

Hopefully unlikely, but sadly not without form - see this from 2012:

Sherwood
19 Aug '19

You only get rotting chicken because some people feed them.
It is pointless poisoning them as the dead foxes will soon be replaced by a new batch of foxes.
I have foxes in my back garden regularly and they do not cause any problems. They help to keep down rats and mice.

appletree
20 Aug '19

Oh that’s bad. I love the foxes in our garden.

We did have one fox die there, but this was in May, so unrelated. I agree the council was very good about coming to collect it. It wasn’t clear on the website that they would.

It’s terrible, and I believe illegal, for people to be killing foxes. I hope whoever is doing it will get caught.

weepy
20 Aug '19

You can legally shoot them. But poisoning is illegal.