Feeding Foxes - Some thoughts
One evening last week I was walking along Fishers Lane when I heard a bird screeching, apparently in great pain or terror, in the childrens' play park.When I looked in I could just make out in the low light a fox killing something. Another fox cleared off when it saw me, but the first one was determined to keep hold of its prey until it was dead.Anyhow, it occurred to me that with foxes being territorial, their numbers will adapt to the food available to them. Which is where people feeding foxes in their gardens etc come in. Such activity must mean that an urban area like Chiswick will now support more foxes than might normally be expected, And since they don't exist solely from food put out for them, or waste food and carrion they scavenge etc, then they will inevitably also predate the area's other wildlife, as I witnessed.Meaning that those cute little fox cubs you see enjoying themselves in your garden in the Spring and Summer, will eventually grow to kill the equally cute birds you put out food for in the Autumn and Winter.P.S. I've nothing against foxes, nor wouldn't cull them etc. Nor do I doubt that people who put out food for them are genuine animal lovers. But the agonising death throes of whatever bird this particular fox had caught was very upsetting and certainly caused me to think.
Richard Cathcart ● 906d53 Comments