Fox Attacks Baby in Greater London

[shyvas]

http://news.sky.com/story/1050008/fox-bites-off-babys-finger-in-cot-attack

 

[KLS52]

Terrible! Is it common practice to go to sleep at night with doors left open? I can't imagine that. On occasion, a door may be left unlocked, here, but never open where an animal could just wander in. I hope the baby will be ok...very frightening. ;(

 

[shyvas]

Terrible! Is it common practice to go to sleep at night with doors left open? I can't imagine that. On occasion, a door may be left unlocked, here, but never open where an animal could just wander in. I hope the baby will be ok...very frightening. ;(

I would have imagined that the attack occured during the daytime. We certainly do lock up during night time.

 

[ledboots]

Is there rabies in England? Here in the US if a fox attacks, it is usually found to be rabid.

 

[yally]

Is there rabies in England? Here in the US if a fox attacks, it is usually found to be rabid.

Nope no rabies here.

 

[Blobbenstein]

except for Daily Mail reader, et al.

 

[Pirate]

I dont think I believe this story, something about it isnt right. It wouldnt suprise me if it turns out the family have a dog, that they didnt want put down after it attacked their kid. Its funny how this is almost the same story as last time - except this time it is February and has been pissing down with rain all week. Sounds weird they'd have the door open.

But thats just me.

 

[Lord Snot]

This is extremely out of character for foxes. To enter another creature's territory and then attack a live animal almost as big/bigger than itself? Hmm.

 

[das_nut]

How can you call that fair and balanced?

 

[Moll Flanders]

I think this is a sad story if it is true, like the others on here I have trouble believing foxes would be vicious with humans as most seem very wary of humans. A fox got into my friend's neighbour's house through the catflap and was frantic with fear when the person came into the kitchen and found the fox. In this case in Bromley if a fox tried to go into a house and found a baby then it could have attacked but it must be so extremely rare.

I know two people last year who had foxes attack their dogs in their garden but I have seen cats, including my own cats, chasing around and playing with foxes at night and the foxes didn't seem the least bit intimidated or violent towards the cats. I think dogs act more defensively and maybe that was why the dogs were attacked in those instances.

 

[mlp]

Foxes can and will attack animals their own size or close to it, and I could see a human baby being considered a tasty morsel if left outdoors and unattended away from human habitation.

I recognize that in GB foxes are now more prone to living in the midst of human habitation (just like coyotes are here), but I have a really difficult time imaging a fox walking into an inhabitated house while humans are present. I can imagine a raccoon doing that here, but not a coyote.

But ultimately, who leaves a house door open while you have a defenceless being in the house?

 

[silva]

"But ultimately, who leaves a house door open while you have a defenceless being in the house?"

They're lucky it was only a fox and not another human!

 

[veganchick]

So the back door was open in an area were foxes frequent? I wish people would not feed foxes they are doing them no kindness not if they lose there fear and this is the result! To start screaming for a cull of foxes seems extreme to me.

 

[Alice-Bee]

People in areas like that actually admitt to feeding foxes, so they are attracting them to the area, leaving doors open etc. A fox doesnt know that the food in a house isnt for it, all it knows is it food.
This to me smacks of bull fighting, use and animal for something (ie feeding a fox cos its so darn cute) then when it acts like a wild animals (ie naturally) kill it.

I do wonder why the door was open in below zero temps in February.

 

[Moll Flanders]

Suddenly it seems like more and more people are saying they have had foxes coming into their homes, "A fox was lying on my bed," "I found a fox in my living room sitting on my sofa," "A fox was making itself a sandwich in my kitchen!"

I think people need to use some sense and stop any behaviour that might be attracting foxes. I had two foxes in my back garden one night when I first moved here as the previous owners kept their rubbish in their back garden (to me that is weird as I am used to putting it out the front of the house) and they must have been used to coming in the garden to look for food and were squeezing through a hole on my fence. I blocked up the hole with wood and I haven't seen another fox out there and I have lived here ten years now.

To start screaming for a cull of foxes seems extreme to me.

I agree.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I can't blame people for feeding foxes. They are cute. They have a sort of catness about them too, which is very appealing.

 

[veganchick]

I can't blame people for feeding foxes. They are cute. They have a sort of catness about them too, which is very appealing.

Foxes are appealing but they are wild animals and sadly considered by some as verim. It is one thing to feed them but to encourage them so much that they lose fear and start entering houses is not a good if it results in people screaming for a cull because of it.

 

[Lord Snot]

You can feed foxes without 'taming' them. My mum has been feeding a local fox family for about 5 years. The main one (I think of him as the dad ) has become slightly bolder - at first he would run away if you looked at him through the window, now he doesn't run until you open the back door, but no way would we be able to get within 10 feet of him. Mum puts his food out in his special bowl at the end of the garden and he carries it away before eating.

Despite her having an open cat flap he could fit through, he has never even tried to get into the kitchen. All city foxes are around humans, you have to really make an effort to get them to lose their fear.

 

[ledboots]

Here in Florida, ignorant people feed the small alligators, (so cute!) who then lose their fear of humans. Years later, a small dog on a leash becomes a treat you are bringing the now huge gator.

 

[Pickle Juice]

You can feed foxes without 'taming' them. My mum has been feeding a local fox family for about 5 years. The main one (I think of him as the dad ) has become slightly bolder - at first he would run away if you looked at him through the window, now he doesn't run until you open the back door, but no way would we be able to get within 10 feet of him. Mum puts his food out in his special bowl at the end of the garden and he carries it away before eating.

Despite her having an open cat flap he could fit through, he has never even tried to get into the kitchen. All city foxes are around humans, you have to really make an effort to get them to lose their fear.

Yes I think animals are way smarter than most people give them credit for. I had koi who knew me and my dogs, but always hid from everyone else. People would want to see them and they would disappear. Even the goldfish. It always looked like I had no fish. But if it was just me they all came over to the edge wherever I was, and they used to come over to "kiss" my dog when he drank from the pond.

And those are domesticated fish. Wild animals are quite a bit more intelligent, because their lives depend on it.