Although it is indeed a shocking rarity for foxes to attack humans, and the tabloid style scare over the issue is typical of what you would expect, it should be remembered that foxes are quite keen on killing pets.

There are many urban families who have woken up in a morning to find a favourite cat or even small dog laying in the garden in a state which will be familiar to many farmers who have long had to endure the problems of this pest.

FFS – Five Live even have a phone in this morning on the subject, “Should urban foxes be culled?” I can save them an hour by answering their question now.

NO!

By some weird coincidence, just before this happened someone I think in The Telegraph or maybe The Mail, one of those left-wing papers, was talking about efforts to give back to people the sacrted rights of Englishmen that they have lost to creeping socialism and the nanny state, and he said he had been extremely disappointed that the efforts hadn’t included repealing the law against hunting foxes with hounds. Maybe after the foxes have been revealed to be home-grown terrorists someone will change this.

I am predjudiced. For many years I was a security guard in a place with a guard shack next to a wooded area, and several times the fox living nearby raised a family of young foxes. After she had decided I wasn’t dangerous she began bringing the babies out to play around the guard shack. I did not go near the foxes because I live in America, where rabies is widespread (in fact a young woman who lived near my brother died from it). They came out for me and a young woman who was also a guard there. One night another guard was angry and started yelling and swearing at me, and the foxes all came out and started barking at him. When he finally noticed, he asked me what it was, and I told him the foxes were angry at him because he was yelling at me. He was afraid that they would attack him, and he got into his car and left.

Even if rabies is not a problem, if the local authorities recommend not becoming too familiar with wild animals, you should probably listen. Maybe in this case the fox somehow identified the children with prey. I have generally found that by talking to animals in a friendly way you can get the idea across that you are not a threat. I have had deer, hawks, foxes, and domestic animals such as horses come to me in a friendly way when I talk to them in a quiet and friendly way. Like I said, it’s probably better to let them keep their distance. On the other hand, why some people hate and fear all animals is something I will never understand.

Couldn’t we spread the meme that it was a cat? They need culling. They even like it.

Notwithstanding Dr Doolittle above (#3) foxes are vermin in the countryside remain vermin in towns and cities.

BRING ON THE CULL!

Was the fox a convert to Islam?

Well, if we do end up repealing the hunting ban, might I propose a new hunt running through Shoreditch?

If we all had guns, we could just shoot the urban foxes.

Whats the point?

I heard from a reliable source that the fox in point was an ex-member of CND, a member of the Socialist Workers Party and was on the aid flotilla to Gaza. Based on this it is clear that all right-minded Englishmen should do their patriotic duty and bring horses and hounds into London to hunt down every single fox in the city. After this we can move onto vagrants and poor people.

They showed footage of a black fox on Springwatch last night.

Typical PCultraleftzanulieboralBBC.

Man kills 12 people using guns. Kneejerk call to consider tightening gun laws = bad.

Fox bites 2 using cute little foxy teeth. Kneejerk call to kill urban foxes and resume the country hunt = perfectly acceptable.

Guns don’t kill people, foxes kill people. Damn these Weapons of Mass Adorability.

@OP ‘most delightful inhabitants’ – not subjective at all that. The whole tone of this piece (with the exception of the amusing bits making fun of the tabloid meme of feral kids) stinks of an urbanite’s emotional attachment to animals,

I’m not saying the piece isn’t correct – it is. To the best of my knowledge, there’s no evidence whatsoever in favour of a fox cull in the cities, and, moreover, it is exceptionally rare for foxes to do anything but run from humans, unless they are wounded, and there’s no mention of that here. Culling as a result of the scenario as presented is an utterly boneheaded idea.

But if there was evidence that a cull – or giving farmers permission to shoot the damn things – would do some good, the fox’s status as a ‘most delightful inhabitant’ shouldn’t stop us.

Terry Nutkins’ remarks in The Guardian struck me as biased. The parents of the injured babies are most unlikely to have imagined that the babies’ wounds were caused by the fox that was found in the children’s room, and it is offensive to suggest otherwise.

I live in Bristol, where there are loads of urban foxes, and I dislike them heartily. They leave a repugnant stench and nasty little piles of squishy poo everywhere. What’s more, they raid dustbins and create an unpleasant mess.

A lot of urbanites feel sentimental about the creatures, but I was brought up on a farm, and have seen for myself the mass slaughter of hens that these animals carry out. I’d gladly shoot them on sight if I had a gun.

Pffft – verminous little bastards. Noisy, messy, disease-ridden and getting increasingly cheeky. I wouldn’t shed a tear if they were culled. You’ll be wanting rat protection orders next. Besides, the left has a proud history of this sort of thing. Mao had the four pests eradication programme (including rats and sparrows). Although, according to the interwebs, “In recent years the government has trained Siberian foxes to hunt rats that are destroying crops and woodlands in northwest China.” So perhaps our urban foxes just need some lessons.

A cull would just make the survivors more cunning by a process of natural selection.

Future generations of city dwellers would be in danger of being outcunned.

Totally agree Jim! Defend the urban fox!!

Laughable article in the Telegraph which mentioned several studies and claims of stable population figures, only to dismiss them with what pretty much amounted to “but I don’t believe them.”

Now, I’m not familiar with the literature of urban fox populations. It may be that some of the studies are deeply flawed. However, if you are going to dismiss them, you better have better reasoning than your own gut instinct and anecdotal observations.

Foxes are scavangers, and like most scavanger are therefore vicous and destructive – the fox in the hen house does kill more than it needs to eat, and this seems to be in their genes. Therefore it is not a surprise that a fox attacked children – whether or not we believe Mr Nutkins that is was probably young and confused (I’d go for older and seeking territory myself).

That said, apart from perhaps encouraging people to realise wild animals can be dangerous and should be treated as, well, wild animals, I doubt there is anything seriously that needs to be done here. Certainly urban foxes do not relate to fox hunting (entertaing as it would be to see…), and whilst this story may be upsetting a few of the romantics who see fox as cunning and noble, or are influenced by Roald Dahl characters, it is hardly a basis to do anything major about anything.

Above all remember that it is not a news story because children were bitten (how many dog attacks are there in a day?); it is a news story because it is unusual. So long as everyone retains that perspective, no-one will do anything stupid. Just don’t ask the tabloids to retain perspective…

The Right wing Englishman is never happier than when he is killing or torturing something weaker than himself.

Talk about mad cow disease, it is endemic in the English red faced Yeoman.

sally,

“The Right wing Englishman is never happier than when he is killing or torturing something weaker than himself.

Talk about mad cow disease, it is endemic in the English red faced Yeoman.”

Are you sure you’re not writing pamphlets supporting the French Revolution (give or take the tasteful reference to mad cow disease).

As an Englishman, who is self-declared right wing (to be fair, living in an industrial city means I am probably not a yeoman), could I point out that killing or torturing things are actually anathema to me. So another of your wonderfully thought out and sensible theories turns out to be wrong…

Ah yes, the French Revolution.

As one aristocrat knob after another was sent to the Guillotine.

Happy Days .

sally,

“As one aristocrat knob after another was sent to the Guillotine.”

I thought it was aristocratic heads sent to the guillotine? Unless I got the wrong sort of head…

Sorry, I’ll get my coat.

they also quote a fox expert, John Bryant, who says that a fox attack of this kind makes no sense what-so-ever.

In other news, human expert Mr Madeupname said that the shootings in Cumbria made no sense what-so-ever.

The dripping sarcasm in this article is rather distasteful when the 9 month old baby who was attacked is still in hospital. I know urban Greens have an emotional attachment to the countryside, and that the tabloids will do anything to create a Big Story out of a tragedy, but still, there’s no need to treat the mother of the child as a liar.

I just love that picture

As one aristocrat knob after another was sent to the Guillotine.

Happy Days .

Do you knit, Sally?

Sasha

‘They leave a repugnant stench and nasty little piles of squishy poo everywhere. What’s more, they raid dustbins and create an unpleasant mess.’

Bit like cats then. Let’s MASSACRE the little feline fiends!

Why do we British decide to kill things because they are a bit of a nuisance? I’ve read a majority of ill-informed and uneducated comments on this subject ranging from “save our children, bring back fox hunting” to “they are always getting into my bins and have bad smelling wee so I want a cull”….it’s utterly ridiculous how little respect these people have for the Eco system. I am furious that any old fox was caught and killed because of this which at the moment hasn’t been proved to even be a fox. The poor animal, an animal that has been persecuted for centuries, is now being persecuted again in the city for acting as a wild animal. I’ve read some amazingly ridiculous articles in our ever-classy press about the fox being an evil criminal mastermind (that apparently walked past the kitchen to get to babies) when we forget, this is a wild animal. The truths are a) this has never happened before (the story from 2002 was a lie, her little boy was attacked by her german shepherd) b) foxes are not vermin and have never been classed as vermin in natural history. They also do not spread disease, if there is such an outbreak of foxes in urban areas then why has no one got one of these apparent diseases from them? utterly disgraceful sensationalist media coverage. makes me sick

Re: ‘foxes getting into hen houses and committing mass slaughter for fun’.

Foxes, like most animals, are programmed to silence their prey a) to make sure it’s dead, and therefore dinner and b) to ensure that other predators don’t get in on the act. Normally, hunting in the woods, he’ll catch one animal at a time, but if he gets into a hen house and all the hens start squawking, the fox kills not for fun but to follow his instinct to silence his prey. If you get your hens shut up at dusk, you should be OK. If a fox gets into your hern house, maybe you should blame bad husbandry, rather than anthropomorphising his behaviour into ‘blood lust’.

Will all those so called fox haters grow up and stop pretending foxes are a risk to human kind. It’s quite pathetic…

1….There is no proof at all it was a fox?

2. Just because the mother saw a fox outside in the garden it does not mean it did anything.

3. This story is being used by the media, David Cameron and his hunting chums in the hunting lobby. To hide deliberate animal cruelty in seeking to repeal the hunting ban.

This story is pathetic; there has not been one proved case of any aspects like this with a red fox, not in the UK or the world. So it’s time this silly story that has plenty of unanswered questions was treated with the distrust it deserves.

The blood junkies and even some on here are all getting excited about killing animals for no reason at all. Always the use the same silly lies and myths….

Foxes do not attack humans, humans attack foxes….always with the same crap about chickens, living in the countryside and all claiming they have seen the nasty side of the fox…..Rubbish…they see no such thing but like to make up false stories. People who seek to denounce and animal in this way are not decent and they are not telling the truth.

This story was given to the BBC by the Countryside Alliance the pro blood sport lobby that alone should tell people there is something wrong. I do not believe for one moment a fox did what is claimed. 8 years ago another silly story popped up just like this one. Then it was claimed a fox bit another kid…

The press created another storm and all the blood junkies all became excited. Yet it was not a fox at all. It was a German shepherd their pet dog. The parents lied….what as surprise…..How long before the truth comes out on this latest story.

There should be no calls for a stupid cull and no to fox hunting returning and no to ignorant blood junkies who do not speak for the nation.

Before people bang on making out foxes are trying to take over the world, how about some flaming facts. Some proof to say a fox was ever in the bedroom? It seems little to ask and needed. If those making such allegations cannot prove a fox was involved then why the hell should we believe this allegation?

People calling for killing animal make me sick; you have just had a mad man kill 12 people dead….yet where is the knee jerk reaction over gun control. Most who have guns by the way used them to blast our wildlife to bits….But we can challenge them for the dangers they pose can we.

Yet one tiny little fox is seen in a garden and all the killers can’t wait to wipe out defenceless animals. Is this is what Britain has become….a land of ignorant people with no decency, shame on them and shame on Britain.

I’m neither a blood junkie*, nor do I think foxes post mortal danger to humans. I just don’t like them. The ones round here are mostly diseased – you can tell by the large bald patches and the quality of their faeces in the garden in the morning – and while they clearly eke a living off the urban streets, they don’t look particularly happy here. Humane culling looks perfectly reasonable to me. I don’t have anything against wasps, either – but if they built a nest in my eaves, I’d get that destroyed, too.

(* I oppose hunting with hounds precisely because it’s subhuman to derive sport from suffering – unspeakable, uneatable, all that. But where I grew up, farmers would go into the woods with shotguns to keep down the populations, and I had nothing against that.)

I am very sad that those two babies were injured, and sorry for the parents -

And yet …. allegedly, one (or was it two????????), foxes walked through an open patio door, went upstairs, through another open door and climbed/jumped into, not one but two cots.

If the cots were legal the bars would have been very close together so that babies can’t get their heads caught: wide enough for a fox? I don’t think so! The bed of these cots would have been at least 50cms from the floor and the sides high enough so that babies can’t climb over. In order for the fox to jump that high it would have to have a long ‘run in’. Must have been a very big house.

Sorry, but this story is very hard to believe.

PS Apparently it was The Countryside Alliance that gave the story to the media. How did they know about it in the first place? Did one of the parents give the CA a ring and say – ‘You might find this story useful’ – ? Who else would have informed them? The plot thickens!

The parents are clearly responsible. They have failed to keep their baby safe. That could have been a paedophile

If this alleged incident happened as reported it must be a one in a billion chance, and surely the fact that the doors had been left invitingly open, at night, in London, for any animal (human animals included) to stroll into the home wants looking at. Instead of the alleged entry by the fox it could so easily have been a kidnapper, murderer or burglar. Where is the sense in sitting watching Britain’s Got Talent and not knowing what’s going on in your own home! Let’s not over react here and blame/persecute every fox in the country, don’t give the fox human characteristics, the fox would have been as scared as the babies and the parents, if not more!

“Instead of the alleged entry by the fox it could so easily have been a kidnapper, murderer or burglar.”

A very very small kidnapper, murderer or burglar, about the size of a cat…

The hounds and the working terriors are hungry for the blood of foxes!

Reginald hopes that the new ‘Tory-Lib Dem coalition government’ grants us the freedom to hunt foxes with hounds under their British Bill of Rights, and abolish the Hunting Act 2004.

In Great Britain, urban foxes were first established in cities such as Essex and London during the 1940s.

Urban foxes have increased in number since the introduction of the Hunting Act 2004. Reginald’s research suggest that there are over 100,000 urban foxes living in the Great London area alone.

One concern about foxes is the possibility of the spread of disease to pets and humans.

Another concern is ‘mange’, caused by mites, which can live on foxes.

A further concern is that foxes attack domestic pets such as cats, rabbits and hens. This has been supported by a large number of increasing incidents recorded by veterinary surgeons.

After baby twins ‘mauled’ by an urban fox, Reginald is now calling for Nick Clegg MP to bring back fox hunting with hounds under his British Bill of Rights !

37
As another poster has mentioned, how would abolishing the Hunting Act address urban foxes, and believe me, foxhounds have been known to tear-apart family pets. At the moment, the countryside is over-run by rabbits, if anything, we need to increase the fox population as rabbits do far more damage to crops than foxes do to livestock, and they are the natural prey of foxes.
We are responsible for the increasing number of urban foxes, by development inpinging on the countryside. Although I’m not that fond of foxes, many more now get killed on the roads than any fox and hounds were able to catch.
If you are that fond of hunting with hounds why don’t you set-up a drag-hunt ,
perhaps you could invite Cameron to be the first prey,

@37

Another concern is ‘mange’, caused by mites, which can live on foxes.

And guinea pigs. Mass cull now! guinea pigs are also immigrants to this Isle so it should be easy to whip up some hatred.

I did smile at the idea of fox-hunters riding through the back streets of London and Birmingham etc, “Tally-ho old boy, I believe that one has a kebab!”

Got sent this by my brother, crapping me up man…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ba5IocGtI8

I did not believe this story from the start, and even if it is true the parents are responsible for keeping their home and children safe from intruders. Foxes and other animals will act on instinct, but they’re not evil, but people can have evil minds.

@34

Was it a paedo fox, then?

Lets get laws passed to muzzle dogs in public places; muzzle their arses from defecating all over our parks; then muzzle their arrogant owners for allowing these animals to foul our parks, gardens, streets and beaches. This, in my opinion is far more serious a problem than urban Foxes! Im sick to death of seeing dogs make ‘defecating’ holes of open spaces meant to be enjoyed by people; not mention the menacing behaviour of many dogs in public places!

I have my doubts if this story is true. Especially if it has been pushed by the blood thirsty alliance. Don’t believe a word they say, and they lie a lot.

Humans are overpopulating the planet casing the distruction of hundreds of species every day. So if we work on the logic that people that want a fox cull then we should also be culling the human race.

Urban foxes are the same as country foxes. All wild amimals are unpredicatable. Foxes are riddled with parasites, worms and other transmittable diseases, all capable of making them go mad in the head.

Foxes are not wormed nor received regular vet check-ups.

DO NOT FEED THE FOXES. IT’S WHAT MAKES THEM TAME AND COME INTO CONTACT WITH HUMANS.

JEREMY CLARKSON WAS 100% CORRECT IN SAYING THAT THE FOX THAT ATTACKED THE TWO BABIES WAS SIMPLY HUNTING FOR FOOD.

ANYONE DEFENDING THE FOXES WOULD CHANGE THEIR OPINION IF GOD FORBID IT HAPPEND TO THEIR CHILDREN.

BRIAN MAY…… HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME!

“Foxes are not wormed nor received regular vet check-ups.”

I don’t believe you.

If you agree with this then join the facebook group SAVE THE URBAN FOX!! Link is above. Join and show that not everyone agrees with this inhumane behaviour.