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FOXES AREN’T JUST found wandering around woodlands in the countryside- urban foxes are very common in cities.
They’ve even been seen roaming around Grafton Street in Dublin with dens near the Dáil.
Isabela Berman sent us in this photo of a fox that she spotted near Lincoln Place this week.
But don’t worry - Irish Wildlife Matters told TheJournal.ie, “You can be sure they are more scared of you than you are of them.”
In the suburbs foxes do best in estates of houses with large gardens. Areas such as Sandymount show a high density of the creatures.
However, they can also be found in industrial estates and in some council housing areas.
During this time of the year the cubs are emerging from the den.
They will spend a lot of time basking in the sunshine (when we have it) and lying up in bushes and long grass.
What to do if you see a fox
If you spot a fox the advice is… don’t panic.
Foxes are pretty harmless and they will run away if approached but don’t try to corner it as it could bite in panic.
Now be warned some of these guys may seem pretty bold and brave.
This fox was snapped in the Leinster House car park last winter and wasn’t too put out by the people nearby.
Some foxes won’t even run away when shouted at from a window, while others can be seen strolling around or lying back enjoying the sun.
This is mostly because urban foxes have become habituated to the city.
If you do see a fox you can go to Irish Wildlife Matters and get the number of a local wildlife rehabilitator for more advice.
Do not disturb
If you don’t want foxes coming to your garden – you need to get rid of their food source, so:
You’ll also need to make sure that your neighbours are following the same rules.
If you’d like more information on foxes you can go to Conserve Ireland or check out some frequently asked questions at IWM.
Misunderstood
Fox owner, Mike Towler, thinks that foxes get a bad reputation because they are painted as villains in children’s stories.
He says, “They have the nicest nature of any animal I have ever met, they are considerate, helpful – particularly towards young foxes.”
Towler also points out that foxes provide a very useful function as they destroy the rats and mice you don’t want.
He seems pretty comfortable with his fox who plays a little football and gets a wash and blow dry in this video:
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When I was a young lad myself and my buddy found a fox cub in a ditch. We raised it until he was strong enough to leave and fend for himself. Lovely animal, we were low for a few days after we released Eamon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2PyZqoM8sw
check out this fox !
Paddy ;rumour has it it was a she and went into Labour until she was delivered a deserving reward ;a nice little earner, (I think that’s the name for a cub fox) called “Commish”
A scurrilous and totally untrue rumour is that she fell in love with a rabbitte until the pressure began to pylon from some very irate farmers ….some say the rumour inspired the song -
Run rabbit run rabbit run run,
here comes the farmer with a snare
I think that’s how it goes !
well look at that ; the spellcheck in my brain is broke ; anyone know a good head mechanic ?
“If you spot a fox the advice us….don’t panic”
My god it’s only a fox not a grizzly bear or a lion!
HAS ANYONE NOTICED THAT THIS SEEMS TO AHVE ONLY BECOME A FEATURE SINCE THE RUBBISH COLLECTION WAS PRIVATISED ; THE COUNCIL SERVICE WAS BETTER AT KEEPING ROTTED FOOD OF THE STREETS OF DUBLIN ;
I DON’T KNOW …WHEN I CROSS THE PALE LINE I DO COME OVER ALL STRANGE LIKE SO DUBLIN IS NOTR APLANET I AM THAT FAMILIAR WITH !
SORRY, about the cap locks ! …
NO IT’S BECAUSE RENTING TENANTS PRETEND THEY DON’T KNOW WHEN TO LEAVE THE BINS OUT, JUST WON’T PAY FOR IT OR JUST SIMPLY…. LAZY HOPING SOMEONE ELSE WILL DO IT .
PERHAPS THEY THINK FOX WILL LEAVE IT OUT FOR THEM.
Thanks paudi … so it’s the vultures that are to blame so , not the foxes !
THERES NO NEED TO SHOUT !!
Apologies … it was on and my brain was off so I was too lazy …you know the way it is ! It annoys me as well if it’s any consolation!
No. Urban foxes have been around for decades. In fact, with rubbish now in wheelie bins and not plastic bags anymore, we’re less likely to see a fox
What does the fox say?
Burn the bondholders lol
Nice little video. We get a lot of foxes down our way. Beautiful animal. Had the pleasure of (with the farmers permission) kicking a rabble of hunters with their dogs off adjoining land years back just as the hunt was beginning. Felt great to tell them to fcuk off.
Niall I have a lot of respect for your opinion ; and fox hunts are cruel but there is a reason behind every tradition … the fox should be chased but not killed …won’t go into it now and I approve of your defence of the fox !
I’m a sheep farmer and I would never kill a fox, in fact I leave food out for them ; just not near my lambs !
There is an awful long way to go on the education of farmers and their connection to nature , there is an awful lot of it there already it has just been somewhat polluted by abject and mind-crushing poverty …
well said Dermot.
cheers jean ; that’s the way I see it anyway !
Nearly hit a fox cub last night
Sitting in the middle of the road grooming itself
stopped the car just in time
Fox cub gave me a look of disgust that I had interrupted it
and then trotted off into someone’s garden
I like the cut of his jib..
What does the Fox say?
Lolz I was waiting to see that question :)
It purrs like a cat…. Weren’t you listening to the fox-man ?
There’s one roaming our lane at night. He’s very welcome because it’s only a couple of months ago that we had a rat problem in the lane.
they make screeching sounds as well.
They do! It’s a strange noise, kind of like a shout. You’d often hear it in Eastenders in an outdoor night scene
I’d love to see Samantha Fox strolling up my garden path…………………
That reference may be missed by younger viewers Top Cat… Worth a Google though
Turn off safe search ;-)
And she probably uses a walking stick now ….
she’s lesbien, she’d have no interest in you whats so ever…..
Isn’t it funny
if you googled Sam fox in her hayday you might be arrested and now it involves a machine …… THE OULD TECHNOLOGY IS ONLY SAVAGE !
I would love a pet fox
As a kid you would love seeing these on an early summer morning as they would dash across your path. Then stop, a quick sniff of the air, and off they would run.
I have a crack fox living in an uncollected rubbish heap out my back since greyhound upped sticks.
Love foxes. I love to see them running about! Always bring a smile to my face!
I don’t care.
Ok I do.
FOR FOX SAKE!!!!
Keep away from FOX news….
Quality Frank !
Pack of Lies…..
The Standard English numerical values of the word FOX = 666.
beware of those who speak in numbers Frank ; eh !
I think it is fair of Satan to leave his clues though ; De Velera = Devil Era etc.
I could of course be wrong but it is a nice way to while a way one’s imagination !
Leave the poor foxes alone.Do not kill them they are beautiful.
A local rehabilitator. Are you taking the piss whats that when it’s at home
Not sure, but goes by the name Nidge
Nidge O’Cuiv or Nidge Collins ?
I thought you city slickers should know foxes are a dangerous animal! All these attacks are in the UK. I would protect my kids from harm at all costs. All city foxes should be eradicated.
“Rare but not unprecedented: Britain’s worst fox attacks”
“In June 2010 nine-month-old twins Isabella and Lola Koupparis were savaged by a fox in their cots after it crept into their home in Hackney, east London.”
“:: Later the same month toddler Jake Jermy was taken to hospital after reports he had been attacked by a fox while attending a party at a school in Brighton, East Sussex.”
“In September 2003 four-year-old Jessica Brown was also bitten on the arm when a fox crept into her upstairs bedroom in Tufnell Park, north London, while she was sleeping.”
“:: In July 2002 Peter Day told of how a fox attacked his baby son Louis at his home in Dartford, Kent.
The 14-week-old suffered four puncture wounds on his head and had to be kept in hospital overnight.”
More chance of being bit by a dog than a fox. Should we kill all dogs also while we’re at it? Sure humans have been known to attack people also! We may aswell kill all them too.
Fox attacks are extremely rare, as they are inherently afraid of humans. The idea that we should kill all of them because of isolated incidents like the above is stupid.
that’s why when i usually see them it’s right in the middle of the cross hairs and then gently squeeze the trigger.
Sean few points
-dogs are domesticated
-foxes are wild.
-dogs are used to being with humans
-foxes are wild and are not used to humans
-a bite from a fox is worse than a bite from a dog
You say attacks are rare well would you be ok with bears and wolves allowed to roam free in towns. I bet attacks are rare also. In the USA those animals are not left free to walk around they are shot with a tranquilliser and removed from cities.
if you lived in a town and there were foxes in the back garden would you let young kids out to play with them, pull their tails ect…
I would protect my kids from all dangers no matter what but as long as foxes are allowed to roam free in cities they pose a danger to humans and children.
Are shur Ned weren’t we wild ourselves before St. Patrick showed us the errors of our ways.
There are a lot of worse creatures roaming free in the cities, most of them two legged.
Michael thats why if you kill a fox nothing happens! Yet if you kill a two legged animal you get jail.
Don’t get me wrong i love animals and i hate to see animals suffering or hurt. But common sense needs to be used when dealing with dangerous animals.
Ned, did you go off the tranquiliser idea?
No, they are not.
Only nice fox is a dead fox ,
Not in keeping with your namesake, the great Eamon De Buitlear
there’s loads of room for all of us …….loads of food too !
Under the wildlife act foxes must be controlled, as there population numbers have got out of hand , people dont see the damage foxes do , to other wildlife , for fun , not as a need for survival, a good week I can kill maybe 8 foxes,
“Their”, fox murderer man
They are rampant around dundrum/ballinteer area. I would hate to hear of a child or anyone for that matter being bitten by them
Children and people are more likely to be bitten by dogs.
Caroline thats why i’d love you to tell the parents of a child bitten by a fox.
“Ah sure there’s more chance of your child been bitten by a dog”. There many families in the UK that are in this boat.
When we were young in the 50s,I remember the fox killing the hens.we didn’t like them at all.
They are such beautiful creatures. Was out walking my miniature Jack Russell in Dublin 8 late in the night recently and one was watching us from across the the Street,he was so curious he creaped his way over to us while on our route and kept walking with us side by side for the next while. I was stupidly a little scared at first but really there is nothing to fear they are amazing clever animals.
There are a family of foxes at the back of my house they have been there as long as I’m living here, when there’s new cubs I leave food out for them I think they are beautiful creatures, we build houses on there habitat so the least we can do is respect them.
That Is a fineGael Fox you’d Know by the miserable Hungry Shite In the bucket Face On it,
Foxes just love lead!
you have a fox on a lead ; that is impressive !
Do you have to walk him every day ?
an amazing storuy. we are learning so much these days about animals. about how intelligent they are. how they relate to humans who aren’t a threat to them. they share this planet with us so we should learn to live in harmony with them…… they seem to want that as well, given the chance.
Can people stop leaving a space before their semi-colon’s please! It’s late and that shit is irritating. If you’re trying to be a clever fox; cover your tracks..
They are dangerous just look what happened in London
Yeah, absolutely nothing.
interesting point ; foxes have the same eyes as us ; sheep and cattle don’t !
if you ever get a chance to get near a sheep or cow look at their eyes !
Don’t know what it means of if it’s just a colour thing but interesting none the less !
Coming to your town, from tunnels underground
In templeogue I saw one and It saw me. There was awkward silence and we both went our ways. No harm done
Saw one in Beaumont last night.
have your say