Is fox cull needed across News Shopper patch? We hear your views

9:20am Thursday 21st February 2013 in Bexley By Ruby Guyatt

(L to R, top to bottom) Samantha Baskar, Carol Poulter, Kenneth Robinson, James Hogg, Mark Allen & Paul Goodson. (L to R, top to bottom) Samantha Baskar, Carol Poulter, Kenneth Robinson, James Hogg, Mark Allen & Paul Goodson.

The vicious fox attack on four-week-old Denny Dolan in Downham saw News Shopper put forward proposals for a fox cull. Reporter RUBY GUYATT asks shoppers whether this is the answer.

FOXES have been responsible for countless attacks across the News Shopper patch in recent years.

In 2006 we reported on another incident in Downham where a 10-year-old girl was bitten on the leg in her bed.

In 2010 a 49-year-old woman was bitten on her hand outside her front door in Catford Last year there were several reported incidents including a man ‘mugged by a fox for his garlic bread’ in Orpington.

A Sidcup woman suffered a similar attack when a fox went after her fruit and veg.

And one particularly 'cocky' fox was mown down by a car in Blackfen shortly after attacking a teenage couple.

News Shopper now says it is time for the foxes in our towns to be trapped and humanely killed so their existence on our streets is a thing of the past.

We put forward that urban fox hunting is the best solution to this menacing problem.

What shoppers think:

Samantha Baskar, 34, of Raeburn Avenue in Crayford said: “There are people in the papers saying that their kids have been attacked by foxes, but I think it might really be their pets. I’ve fed the foxes in my garden for nine years. They’re timid animals and run off when you approach them.”

Carol Poulter, 68, of Lower Station Road in Crayford said: “I don’t think a cull would solve the problem because you’d get rid of one and it would just be replaced by another. People need to stop feeding them and leaving their bins so accessible.”

Kenneth Robinson, 75, of Long Lane in Bexleyheath said: “We get foxes in the garden but the worst thing they do is mess on my vegetable patch. If I had small children then I’d be very careful to keep windows and doors closed. Maybe there should be a cull in other areas, but it’s not needed here.”

James Hogg, 19, of Valley Road in Crayford said: “I haven’t had a problem with foxes but out neighbours have had them in their gardens. We wouldn’t need a cull if people stopped feeding them. Towns have become too enticing for them.”

Mark Allen, 40, of Evelyn Street in Deptford said: “A cull is needed. I was driving through Honor Oak one night and saw loads of foxes scurrying around the streets. They should be cut back.”

Paul Goodson, 25, Court Road in Mottingham said: “There were two foxes in my garden last night. They attacked my three cats, who are now terrified. They are wild animals and there are too many of them in towns.”

Comments(36)

Eagles_Man says...
9:40am Thu 21 Feb 13

So, 2 to 1 against a cull.

NS in tune with its readers as always.

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rescaaffering oldey says...
10:07am Thu 21 Feb 13

...saw one yesterday at griffin court, beckers... i was loading up a skip - at noon and there was one scamping around... not a care in the world.

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the wall says...
10:19am Thu 21 Feb 13

FOXES have been responsible for countless attacks........
Really, countless attacks so too many to be counted. I think not.

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Virtual-Monster says...
10:34am Thu 21 Feb 13

We are responsible for creating an environment where foxes want to be in close proximity to us and more importantly our rubbish.

Animals work on instinct and as we have disrupted their natural way of life (taking away their habitats, giving them new and easy food sources) we have to accept that we are in fact the problem.

Understanding how we can live with our fox neighbours and protect ourselves from unwanted behaviour is our responsibility.

To be honest I would rather cull the hoodie wearing feral youth in our area rather than foxes.

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Mr JH says...
11:14am Thu 21 Feb 13

Virtual-Monster wrote:
We are responsible for creating an environment where foxes want to be in close proximity to us and more importantly our rubbish.

Animals work on instinct and as we have disrupted their natural way of life (taking away their habitats, giving them new and easy food sources) we have to accept that we are in fact the problem.

Understanding how we can live with our fox neighbours and protect ourselves from unwanted behaviour is our responsibility.

To be honest I would rather cull the hoodie wearing feral youth in our area rather than foxes.
Absolutely, spot on! There must be some real animal haters at the News Shopper, as we've had a tirade of horribly OTT headlines and invective spewing out of the pages of the paper recently in support of their anti-dog and anti-fox campaigns.

It'd be great if we actually learned to respect our animals and wildlife, as humans are far more dangerous and create far more problems.

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handymanchris says...
11:23am Thu 21 Feb 13

there needs to be a cull on humans! Some are worse than foxes and dogs put together!

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Gypo.Joe says...
11:37am Thu 21 Feb 13

Lets have a cull on skip loaders.


Tally Hooooooo.

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ksc says...
11:40am Thu 21 Feb 13

I wonder how long it will be before people will admit that foxes are finally a problem, I don't believe they are at a point where by a mass cull is needed, but one day they will be, and I fear the animal protectors even then will refuse to see the problem we have brought upon ourselves by inaction.
Foxes don't understand self control or family planning or how to co-exist in harmony with your neighbours, but why should they, THEY'RE ANIMALS, we are the "intelligent one's are we not, and burying your head in the sand is what the animals do.
Twenty or thirty years ago you rarely saw foxes in the built up areas, now you can't miss them, unfortunately foxes won't be having a fox meeting in the back garden and saying "OK boys enough is enough, we must stop reproducing and taking advantage of any unguarded food, living or dead, and disperse some of our numbers back into the country side in order to help our two legged friends" THEY ARE ANIMALS, we are not, we can see problems on the horizon and take remedial action, foxes can't.
So I hope we don't sit back and let foxes get so out of control that, like immigration, it becomes an irreversible problem that will plague us for many generations.

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old nick says...
12:40pm Thu 21 Feb 13

numerous attacks,more Bull-S.

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PaulErith says...
12:51pm Thu 21 Feb 13

ksc wrote:
I wonder how long it will be before people will admit that foxes are finally a problem, I don't believe they are at a point where by a mass cull is needed, but one day they will be, and I fear the animal protectors even then will refuse to see the problem we have brought upon ourselves by inaction. Foxes don't understand self control or family planning or how to co-exist in harmony with your neighbours, but why should they, THEY'RE ANIMALS, we are the "intelligent one's are we not, and burying your head in the sand is what the animals do. Twenty or thirty years ago you rarely saw foxes in the built up areas, now you can't miss them, unfortunately foxes won't be having a fox meeting in the back garden and saying "OK boys enough is enough, we must stop reproducing and taking advantage of any unguarded food, living or dead, and disperse some of our numbers back into the country side in order to help our two legged friends" THEY ARE ANIMALS, we are not, we can see problems on the horizon and take remedial action, foxes can't. So I hope we don't sit back and let foxes get so out of control that, like immigration, it becomes an irreversible problem that will plague us for many generations.
"So I hope we don't sit back and let foxes get so out of control" - I've got images now of groups of "out of control" foxes with hoodies, hanging around street corners, terrorising people!

Seriously, foxes are absolutely no problem whatsoever. Over a long period of time, there have been a handful of cases whereby a fox has attacked someone. As I've pointed out before, there have been more cases of swans attacking people - Should we cull them too before they get "out of control"?

Foxes are timid creatures that are normally just looking around trying to find food. Another plus point is that foxes will kill and eat rats. I think the risk of being overran by rats is greater than the threat of foxes ever causing humans any real issues.

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jaded1 says...
12:54pm Thu 21 Feb 13

PaulErith wrote:
ksc wrote:
I wonder how long it will be before people will admit that foxes are finally a problem, I don't believe they are at a point where by a mass cull is needed, but one day they will be, and I fear the animal protectors even then will refuse to see the problem we have brought upon ourselves by inaction. Foxes don't understand self control or family planning or how to co-exist in harmony with your neighbours, but why should they, THEY'RE ANIMALS, we are the "intelligent one's are we not, and burying your head in the sand is what the animals do. Twenty or thirty years ago you rarely saw foxes in the built up areas, now you can't miss them, unfortunately foxes won't be having a fox meeting in the back garden and saying "OK boys enough is enough, we must stop reproducing and taking advantage of any unguarded food, living or dead, and disperse some of our numbers back into the country side in order to help our two legged friends" THEY ARE ANIMALS, we are not, we can see problems on the horizon and take remedial action, foxes can't. So I hope we don't sit back and let foxes get so out of control that, like immigration, it becomes an irreversible problem that will plague us for many generations.
"So I hope we don't sit back and let foxes get so out of control" - I've got images now of groups of "out of control" foxes with hoodies, hanging around street corners, terrorising people!

Seriously, foxes are absolutely no problem whatsoever. Over a long period of time, there have been a handful of cases whereby a fox has attacked someone. As I've pointed out before, there have been more cases of swans attacking people - Should we cull them too before they get "out of control"?

Foxes are timid creatures that are normally just looking around trying to find food. Another plus point is that foxes will kill and eat rats. I think the risk of being overran by rats is greater than the threat of foxes ever causing humans any real issues.
Has anyone ever had their arm broken by a swan?
If it did happen would you get a bigger council house?

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Wispy Wonder says...
1:31pm Thu 21 Feb 13

There is far worse vermin prowling the streets that actually do attack people. Tackle them first.

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lehaneb says...
2:47pm Thu 21 Feb 13

I would support a cull, both due to the risk of attacks and the incredible amount of noise they make at night-time!

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mumcabs says...
7:23pm Thu 21 Feb 13

People must stop putting food out for them, I know of several people who do that. Also, foxes are losing their natural habitat as more and more countryside is being lost to housing development forcing them into the suburbs.

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mainman says...
9:45pm Thu 21 Feb 13

lehaneb wrote:
I would support a cull, both due to the risk of attacks and the incredible amount of noise they make at night-time!
how ignorant some people are. they only make a row during the mating season (which isnt very long). It is the females calling for the males. and sometimes if there is a fight for territory.foxes dont like being too many together which disproves the bloke on the tv report that said he saw about 25!! yes 25 foxes in his road.

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mainman says...
9:50pm Thu 21 Feb 13

why is it the countryside alliance always revolves around killing animals and death

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PaulErith says...
9:25am Fri 22 Feb 13

lehaneb wrote:
I would support a cull, both due to the risk of attacks and the incredible amount of noise they make at night-time!
Oh dear lehaneb!!

"the risk of attacks" - What flipping risk of attack?

"incredible amount of noise they make at night-time" - Nice one, let's cull a species because it makes too much noise. I used to live by the sea and the sea gulls make a racket. I guess they should be culled too?

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rescaaffering oldey says...
9:56am Fri 22 Feb 13

Gypo.Joe wrote:
Lets have a cull on skip loaders. Tally Hooooooo.
...be in the brickies at 20.00 tonight tom-the-failed if you want to fetch your hounds in for a glass of sherry!! rofl!!

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Gypo.Joe says...
10:24am Fri 22 Feb 13

rescaaffering oldey wrote:
Gypo.Joe wrote:
Lets have a cull on skip loaders. Tally Hooooooo.
...be in the brickies at 20.00 tonight tom-the-failed if you want to fetch your hounds in for a glass of sherry!! rofl!!
Do they serve minorities in there though Karl.

I'm Tom now..... ROFLMAO

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Marty1979 says...
4:24pm Fri 22 Feb 13

One thing "experts" agree on is that a cull wouldn't achieve anything

You kill all the foxes in an area (Downham?) by shooting - poison can't be used for risk to pets - all that happens is ones from surrounding areas move in

Numbers are controlled by availability of food - if people don't put food out and make sure waste is not left in bags then foxes will move on

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Rev. Sue Scottley says...
4:51pm Fri 22 Feb 13

Where I live there's loads of foxes, they've never attacked my cats (even when provoked!) or done anything worse than leave poo on the lawn - and since my cats ganged up on a fox and chased it away there's been no more poo on the lawn.

Keep your bins sealed and grass on takeaways and restaurants that aren't dealing with their rubbish properly. If there's lots of foxes it is because they are finding loads of food. If they weren't able to scavenge so much there wouldn't be so many of them - simples.

People like the lady in the article have to stop feeding them. They are a wild animal and should be treated as such - they are more than capable of finding their own food or there wouldn't be so many of them!

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Gatito says...
9:32am Sat 23 Feb 13

ksc wrote:
I wonder how long it will be before people will admit that foxes are finally a problem, I don't believe they are at a point where by a mass cull is needed, but one day they will be, and I fear the animal protectors even then will refuse to see the problem we have brought upon ourselves by inaction.
Foxes don't understand self control or family planning or how to co-exist in harmony with your neighbours, but why should they, THEY'RE ANIMALS, we are the "intelligent one's are we not, and burying your head in the sand is what the animals do.
Twenty or thirty years ago you rarely saw foxes in the built up areas, now you can't miss them, unfortunately foxes won't be having a fox meeting in the back garden and saying "OK boys enough is enough, we must stop reproducing and taking advantage of any unguarded food, living or dead, and disperse some of our numbers back into the country side in order to help our two legged friends" THEY ARE ANIMALS, we are not, we can see problems on the horizon and take remedial action, foxes can't.
So I hope we don't sit back and let foxes get so out of control that, like immigration, it becomes an irreversible problem that will plague us for many generations.
I suggest you read this article by a scientist who has been studying foxes for more than 30 years.

http://www.newscient
ist.com/article/mg21
729050.200-culling-u
rban-foxes-just-does
nt-work.html

The reports of fox attacks have been grabbed by a media happy to believe a story that will sell. They are frightening people unnecessarily and this is irresponsible and dangerous.

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pinkfree says...
3:34pm Sat 23 Feb 13

ksc wrote:
I wonder how long it will be before people will admit that foxes are finally a problem, I don't believe they are at a point where by a mass cull is needed, but one day they will be, and I fear the animal protectors even then will refuse to see the problem we have brought upon ourselves by inaction.
Foxes don't understand self control or family planning or how to co-exist in harmony with your neighbours, but why should they, THEY'RE ANIMALS, we are the "intelligent one's are we not, and burying your head in the sand is what the animals do.
Twenty or thirty years ago you rarely saw foxes in the built up areas, now you can't miss them, unfortunately foxes won't be having a fox meeting in the back garden and saying "OK boys enough is enough, we must stop reproducing and taking advantage of any unguarded food, living or dead, and disperse some of our numbers back into the country side in order to help our two legged friends" THEY ARE ANIMALS, we are not, we can see problems on the horizon and take remedial action, foxes can't.
So I hope we don't sit back and let foxes get so out of control that, like immigration, it becomes an irreversible problem that will plague us for many generations.
Dear ksc

Do you know that we all belong to same family,WE ALL ARE ANIMALS -MAMALS. Universe is for everyone to live, we think that we have intelligent brain and can go killing smaller creatures, unfortunately not all homo sapiens have enough brain to comprehend this.

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Marty1979 says...
1:05pm Sun 24 Feb 13

Due to the very sensational story involving the baby, now a demand for the extermination of a species - because that would be needed, a cull would achieve nothing

And even now the full facts of that event have not been established

Parents claim a fox, yet the father by his own admission was not there

The mother is the only witness, yet her story changes every time she gives another "exclusive" and there are so many inconsistancies it becomes almost unbelievable

The only certain fact is that the baby suffered harm

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banjo8 says...
8:59am Tue 26 Feb 13

I'm not sure we even know of the baby really suffered that much harm. Some scratches which will clear up and a big bandage.

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Tip-Top says...
1:05pm Tue 26 Feb 13

I was mugged by a fox whilst playing bingo the other night.....NS, you have strongly worded letter coming your way with a suitable picture you can use for the article (I look rather handsome in it)!!!!

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banjo8 says...
8:49am Wed 27 Feb 13

I bet they can't wait to get that picture - probably mnake the front page!

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Tip-Top says...
8:56am Wed 27 Feb 13

It’s got all the hallmarks of a real newspaper classic…..you know the look…where the individual(s) in question are supposed to look upset/angry/disappoi
nted etc……it just so happens I’ve managed to conjure up all of the above and still look remarkably good….I’m also dressed rather dapper too whilst holding an incomplete bingo slip that was ripped from my macho hands, by that evil ginger beast (with the most beautiful fluffy tail, it must be said).

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banjo8 says...
10:17am Wed 27 Feb 13

With such well-crafted words you should be writing the story too - who needs NS hacks?

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debsy62 says...
12:23pm Wed 27 Feb 13

what a sensational headline. dog attacks on children and adults far outnumber fox attacks but you wouldnt dare to post a similar one had the attack been by a dog there would have been a public outcry from all dog owners and rightly so. foxes are generally shy timid creatures there is no need for a cull of urban foxes or any other foxes for that matter.i have seen several foxes in my garden and neither myself my children or any of my pets have ever been subject to an attack by them.

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banjo8 says...
4:00pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Dog owners make a choice, they choose to own a dog so they have to accept the consequences of that decision. I'm not aware that anyone owns a fox - they are a wild animal.

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borjeno says...
6:53pm Wed 27 Feb 13

How many people/children have dogs killed in the last ten years and how many thousands have been bitten by dogs over the same period. I have never heard of a Fox killing anyone and they are wild animals not "mans best friend". If we cull a wild animal for biting us what should we do to one that lives in our homes but does kill us. What next wasp and bee culls?

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banjo8 says...
10:29pm Wed 27 Feb 13

There's no logic to what you're saying. Dogs are domesticated animals, but can turn at a moment's notice. Foxes are wild animals and should therefore never be trusted under any circumstances. They certainly shouldn't be fed and encouraged. Why you would suggest wasps or bees would need culling I have no idea.

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bcdogs says...
10:44pm Wed 27 Feb 13

OMG you are at it again !!! First you are against certain dog breeds now you want your blood from foxes ! A cull will not make any difference once one is gone another will move in. A better solution and more productive way to spend money would be to trap and spay and castrate the foxes,then release them back into their patch. It has worked for stray dog populations abroad. Most foxes are run over or die before they are a year old and the numbers remain stable.why do people want to kill everything ???????

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banjo8 says...
8:50am Thu 28 Feb 13

I never said foxes should be culled, I said they need controlling. I agree with you that there are other more sensible, humane ways to tackle the problem. Another solution would be effective 'birth control' for foxes. This works well for rabbits and other animals in problem areas. You simply put down foodstuffs laced with the correct amount of contraceptive.

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tekesta says...
10:35am Thu 28 Feb 13

banjo8 my point is dogs kill people but as far as I know Foxes haven't so if you want logic it would be cull the dogs for killing people wouldn't it? Obviously I don't want either culled but why call for a cull on the least lethal animal

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