There has been a lot of interest in the urban fox attack story of the Chihuahua Lexi Reeves being attacked by a fox in Basildon, Essex on 5th March. Some see the fox as vermin that should be destroyed, others as part of the natural landscape whose land we are invading with our housing. Whatever your view, urban foxes are among us and look to be set to stay.
Foxes have been in our cities since the 1940’s beginning with London and Bristol. Generally fox populations are now higher in urban areas than rural areas and they seem to be comfortably at home amongst us. With no predators, except perhaps for the car, they have little to fear and much to gain. There was an outbreak of sarcoptic mange in the 1990’s that drastically reduced their numbers, but they have bounced back. They are resilient, adaptable creatures able to eat a wide variety of food, and this is one of the main reasons for their success. In most areas, they have reached the sustainable population limit so numbers are not generally rising.
Foxes have been in our cities since the 1940’s beginning with London and Bristol. Generally fox populations are now higher in urban areas than rural areas and they seem to be comfortably at home amongst us. With no predators, except perhaps for the car, they have little to fear and much to gain. There was an outbreak of sarcoptic mange in the 1990’s that drastically reduced their numbers, but they have bounced back. They are resilient, adaptable creatures able to eat a wide variety of food, and this is one of the main reasons for their success. In most areas, they have reached the sustainable population limit so numbers are not generally rising.
Attacks on pets are rare, but as Lexi found out, they can happen. Lexi Reeves is a 3 year old Chihuahua living in Basildon. On Monday night at around 9pm she was out in the back garden when her owner Vicky heard her bark. She went out and looked down the side alley to see Lexi cowering by the gate with an urban fox near her. The fox then jumped up onto the BBQ, over the side gate & started to try to drag Lexi through the gap in the gate. Poor Lexi was crying out & Vicky grabbed her & tried to stop her being pulled through. The fox, about the size of a small German Shepherd, finally let go so that Lexi could be scooped up and brought indoors. A quick examination revealed blood around her neck and she was rushed to Cherrydown. Fortunately we have a 24 hour emergency service and she was immediately seen by our vet Kevin. Lexi had a large laceration to the left side of her neck with damage around the jugular and other major structures. The wound was extremely deep and was virtually through to her trachea. Following surgery, Lexi was closely monitored around the clock and finally left to go home today.
Smaller pets such as rabbits are at most risk, but having them in a secure hutch will greatly reduce the risk. If you do have rabbits, then making sure there is no food left out that foxes might like as this will reduce the likelihood of them visiting your garden. Other simple steps include using a strong mesh on cages/hutches rather than chicken wire, putting down a solid floor that they cannot dig under and using a secure lock rather than a latch that can be worked loose. Cats are at very low risk and are more than capable of outrunning & outmanoeuvring a fox. There is little evidence to suggest children are at risk of being bitten by a fox, despite the much publicised case in 2011. They are far more likely to be bitten by man’s best friend or a cat, rather than a fox. The only time they are really likely to attack is if they are cornered and feel they have no option.
Basildon Council supply the large green wheelie bins for food & garden waste. Foxes are not large enough to knock these over, but they are more than happy to rip into a black bin liner for a tasty snack. Ensuring food waste is in the wheelie bins will stop them visiting when your rubbish is put out. A study in Bristol showed that there is more than enough food available for foxes, but if you want to watch them in your garden, then leaving food out will encourage them to visit.
For most people, the worst nuisance caused by foxes is either the sound of them screaming & barking at night or the pungent odour they leave. If however they make a den under a shed, there are ways to deter them. Loosely blocking entrances entrance(s) until there is no sign of disturbance will then allow them to be properly blocked up without killing the fox. After a few days of these not being disturbed, it will be possible to block up the entrances fully without killing the fox or cubs. Alternatively soaking rags or straw with a deterrent & leaving these at the entrance until they are no longer disturbed will allow the holes to then be securely filled. Only approved repellants are allowed to be used and these can be found at garden centres and DIY stores.
Reducing fox numbers would be difficult & expensive. Most foxes have a litter of 5 and it would mean killing at least 4 of each litter to reduce the number of mating couples. In most areas, the numbers are stable and if there were to be a cull, foxes would reproduce more again and very quickly numbers would be back to what they were. Killing foxes in one area will lead to foxes from another area moving in to replace them, causing fights with more noise and disturbance plus scent marking.
For those that do like foxes and want them to visit, consideration should be given to other local residents. Getting to the stage where a fox is so tame that it will eat from your hand means it will likely approach other people to do the same. Such an approach may well be distressing to other people. Similarly allowing them to enter your home will encourage them to think this is acceptable at other homes. Foxes burrowing under a house to create a den can be a huge problem with the associated noise and smell that will come from them. Prevention is better than cure so make sure all blockwork and airbricks are firmly secured. A pest control company can be called in to help remove them, but this can be expensive.
Basildon Council provide the following information:
Foxes
- Most fox nuisance consists of: digging flower beds, lawn fouling, scent marking and creating an earth (home) under garden sheds. They seldom attack livestock but may attack rabbits and guinea pigs. We do not provide any services in relation to foxes however the following link may be useful www.foxproject.org.uk.
The fox is part of our urban society whether we like it or not. To some a nuisance, to others a source of delight. They are not generally a great danger to our pets or us, but taking the right measures can help reduce any risks and the annoying features of their presence. At Cherrydown we hate to see any animal that has been injured by whatever cause and we would just ask the public to follow the steps outlined to reduce risk, nuisance and the small chance of further suffering by any pets.
To learn more about the urban fox, keep an eye out on channel 4 in May for a documentary series that charts its routine and movement. Part of the documentary may feature Lexi & her emergency treatment at Cherrydown Vets in Basildon (they were here filming yesterday) so why not give it a look and see what they have to say.
