"It is a myth that urban
foxes are mangy, ill and poorly fed.
The Prudhoe Bay Oilfield is home to sympatric populations of red and arctic
foxes. Both species are known to occur year-round and to breed successfully within the oilfield, but studies to date have concentrated mainly on the arctic fox and its relationship to petroleum development activities (e.g., Eberhardt, 1977; Fine, 1980; Garrott, 1980; Eberhardt et al., 1982, 1983).
Those
foxes too old, weak, infirm or diseased to hunt food simply did not make it.
city dwellers,
foxes mate noisily, leave smelly droppings, dig up flower bulbs, rifle through trash and occasionally attack pets or people.
In more arid climes, the much smaller swift and kit
foxes prevail, although red
foxes are increasing their range and often kill swift and kit
foxes should their paths ever cross.
As councillors we've been notified by scores of residents of various cases of urban
foxes encroaching into people's gardens and causing a particular nuisance, especially in relation to foraging in bins and refuse.
There is limited information about when the contraction began in different regions, although MacPherson (1964) reported red
foxes on Baffin Island in Canada in 1918.
Most
foxes were obtained as carcasses found on roads, but a few were shot or poisoned by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
The cross phase is common in Europe and is often seen in North American
foxes, probably because European
foxes were introduced to North America some time in the 1700s for hunting purposes.
The Act bans the hunting of
foxes with dogs in England and Wales.
Dogs are more likely to hurt babies than
foxes. And horrible human beings do more harm to children than dogs.
A SCOTS pest control expert yesterday urged parents not to panic over the risk posed by
foxes after a newborn baby was bitten in an attack.