Foxs on the increase..

[Fiagai]

From the BBC News tonight..

Aberdeenshire

A fox believed to be the biggest killed in Britain was shot after attacking lambs on an Aberdeenshire farm.

It weighed 38lbs 1oz (17.2kg) and was 4ft 9in (1.4m) from nose to the tip of its tail. On average the animals tend to weigh up to about 15lbs (6.8kg).

Alan Hepworth, 69, from Rothiemay, shot the fox on a friend's farm and said its size was "incredible".

He said: "We take no real pleasure from it. It's just what we have to do to stop them getting out of control."

Mr Hepworth explained: "We have to shoot foxes to keep on top of them, and stop them from killing the lambs.

"It was late at night, and this particular fox caught our eye because it was such an incredible size.

"When we went over to pick it up, we were amazed by quite how big it was.

"I could only hold it for a while because it was so heavy and was nearly as big as a roe deer.

He added: "I'm 5ft 7in, and it was 4ft 9in. When I held it up, it was almost the same size as me."

Jonathan Reynolds, senior research scientist at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), said: "A 38lbs fox would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

We don't know why they are getting bigger, but one possible explanation is that they are getting better fed in urban areas."

and East Sussex

5 March 2012

A fox about twice the normal size has been shot dead in Sussex, prompting fears the wild animals are getting larger.

The creature, killed near East Grinstead, weighed 35lbs (15.8kg) (35lbs) and was 4ft 3in (1.3m) long.

Gamekeeper Roy Lupton, who killed the fox, believes the oversize animals are becoming more common because people feed them with scraps.

##

LINK

LINK

And I wonder why farmers are having such problems....

 

[amy_b]

Iv changed my view on 'urban foxes'
I have always cursed any story of urban foxy woxy's muttering something under my breathe about how dangerous they are/can be - for example a couple I witnessed letting thier toddlers run up to a hedge and peek in where a fox had just run, Im sure if the fox had ripped the kids ear (or worse) off they wouldnt want to cuddle it quite so much.
This one -
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4179342/15st-man-mugged-by-a-fox-Beasts-alley-attack-for-food.html
which people are taking the mick out of the guy but personally I think this is very dangerous!! what if a kid comes out of the supermarket and the fox attacks him/her?!!
The problem is if something is done about them now the people that feed the cuddly wuddly foxy woxys that wouldnt hurt a fly will kick up a stink, so I think Im going to start feeding (possibly breeding!) them until they are causing a problem on every street corner and the fox cuddlers will come back for a solution!!!!!
also, why is it every time something awful happens it is 'very rare?!' how often do foxes have to come into homes to attack babies before people realise theya re a wild animal and should be treated like coyote's are!!!

*phew!* rant over