Chris_Sleeps Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 There was footage on BBC News this morning of a fox entering a house and looking around while somebody filmed it. It never moved far from it's escape route, but it still came in. It was unbelievable really. BBC - How common are fox attacks on humans? Martin Hemmington is one such fox-lover. He is founder of the National Fox Welfare Society, a rescue charity [...] "We receive pictures of foxes curled up on people's settees. People put food inside their houses and think it is lovely to share their living room with a wild fox," he said. "But if the fox gets into that habit, the people two doors down might not be that happy." I think it is extremely foolish to encourage them into one's house. People can be silly with animals, and this is the case here. A wild animal should be just that, wild, and a futile attempt at domesticating them can only come to a bad end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hels1977 Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 There was footage on BBC News this morning of a fox entering a house and looking around while somebody filmed it. It never moved far from it's escape route, but it still came in. It was unbelievable really. I saw that too - there was no explanation of when the film was taken, whether the fox had been encouraged into the house (suspect so given the cameras were clearly set up to capture it), where food was etc. Just a tantalising video to prove foxes can indeed walk into houses (if this was news to anyone then I'm shocked). It's entirely different to a fox walking into a house, walking upstairs (where there's unlikely to be food), walking into a babies room, jumping up to the cots, savaging two babies and then standing there bodly whilst two people scream at you and throw things at you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 Could be a sick fox. They've been known to do desperate things. It's rare enough for this to be a big story, but we've no reason to doubt - from the reports so far - that it was a fox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Sleeps Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 It's entirely different to a fox walking into a house, [...] walking into a babies room I agree, but sadly we have no reason to doubt their story. These freak occurences can happen, it is in the realm of possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 A wild animal should be just that, wild, and a futile attempt at domesticating them can only come to a bad end. The Russians have successfully domesticated foxes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_silver_fox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hels1977 Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 I agree, but sadly we have no reason to doubt their story. These freak occurences can happen, it is in the realm of possibility. I would think the latter part of your sentence is enough to doubt their story though. Not least in case it was a fox then clearly there IS a probem with refuse collection and population. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 It was a fox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daven Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 I would question why a downstairs door was left open at 10pm with sleeping children upstairs - the adults are to blame not the fox/dog/dingo or whatever 'animal' attacked the children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Sleeps Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 I would think the latter part of your sentence is enough to doubt their story though. I don't doubt their story, i just think it is very very odd and i'd like to know more. Sadly we can only ever have their word on the matter, and we have no reason to suspect them of lying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yog Sothoth Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 I love foxes me. Any traps I find in our local woods will be reduced to scrap and matchwood in no short order. Even if (and I still find incredible) a fox was responsible, I don't see that as any justification for hunting down, culling or killing foxes. Dozens of people are attacked by elephants and lions in Africa, but would you say they should all be shot? Or tigers? Or bears? No. I feel sorry for the children and their families, if the story is true, but one should not 'blame' the fox, as though it somehow planned the attack. Foxes are opportunistic hunters and scavengers and act to a large extent on instinct, as does any predator (and humans, for that matter - difference being that we have the capability - often not used - of over-riding our instincts with reason). But I don't believe for one minute that a fox would see a human, even a young one, as potential food. They recognise their food or prey by characteristic smells or characteristic movements, and human children aren't going to fit the bill on any count. I think it's more likely the fox had got into the house, couldn't find its way out and jumped on the kids bed aiming for the light from the window. Fox can't get out, kids wake up, get scared, fox and kids both panic and feed each other's panic, fox reacts defensively and fights what it sees as a threat. Anyone who's ever had a strange cat cornered in their house will know the panic and sometimes frantic aggression they display as they try to escape. I expect a fox, being so nervous anyway, would be just the same. As for comparing them to rats, I should point out that all wild mammals carry communicable diseases, and that we all have rats in our gardens and yards, even if we never see them. Leave the foxes alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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