# Biggest fox caught:



## SonnysHumanSlave (7 January 2011)

Just seen this on the sky news site.... must be all the mac d's and KFC they eat these days.... do you wanna go large with that?

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK...aught_And_Killed_After_Apparently_Killing_Cat


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## Bounced (8 January 2011)

Good grief, poor cat! What a grisly sight to wake up to.


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## lizzie_liz (8 January 2011)

Why did the fox have to be destroyed though? It is humans that have encroached on its habitat, it is humans who have provided a habitat in cities allowing foxes to survive. The fox only killed a cat, it was probably just using it's natural instincts. If cats kill wild birds we don't go around killing them.


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## MagicMelon (8 January 2011)

lizzie_liz said:



			Why did the fox have to be destroyed though? It is humans that have encroached on its habitat, it is humans who have provided a habitat in cities allowing foxes to survive. The fox only killed a cat, it was probably just using it's natural instincts. If cats kill wild birds we don't go around killing them.
		
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Because humans like to be the higher power, anything bigger than usual freaks them out so they'd rather just kill it.  Pathetic IMO.


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## SonnysHumanSlave (8 January 2011)

Are foxes not classed as Vermin like rats such like?

Im not too sure why it had to be destroyed, it is big though!


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## EAST KENT (8 January 2011)

Beautiful creature,kitty meat is great for growth it seems.It was near Hollingbourne ,a rural area with no KFC outlets/supermarkets in sight. Actually I hope he has at least had a chance to breed  and pass on his genes for the future.


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## Sarah Sum1 (8 January 2011)

Poor thing! 

They had to kill another to compare sizes!


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## houndsplease (8 January 2011)

what a waste yet we get blamed for fox hunting yet they justify killing him just cos it killed a cat. woopdi bloo di do


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## brighteyes (8 January 2011)

What a cracking specimin of a fox! I want to know exactly what constitutes humane destruction in this case. Of course it had to be killed - it ate someone's cat.


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## Dolcé (8 January 2011)

lizzie_liz said:



			Why did the fox have to be destroyed though? It is humans that have encroached on its habitat, it is humans who have provided a habitat in cities allowing foxes to survive. The fox only killed a cat, it was probably just using it's natural instincts. If cats kill wild birds we don't go around killing them.
		
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The cat was somebody's pet, part of their family, I suspect that is why they killed the fox!  Had I caught the one that killed over half of my hens I would have had it shot despite the fact that I love foxes along with all other animals.


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## houndsplease (8 January 2011)

hch4971 said:



			The cat was somebody's pet, part of their family, I suspect that is why they killed the fox!  Had I caught the one that killed over half of my hens I would have had it shot despite the fact that I love foxes along with all other animals.
		
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so not saying i know ur views on this subject but why when a fox kills someones lively hoods is that acceptable and when a hunt control foxes thats cruel. 

crazy


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## lizzie_liz (8 January 2011)

hch4971 said:



			The cat was somebody's pet, part of their family, I suspect that is why they killed the fox!  Had I caught the one that killed over half of my hens I would have had it shot despite the fact that I love foxes along with all other animals.
		
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I am sorry that arguement just doesn't hold with me I am afraid. In this instance a fox saw the cat as a potential food source and used its natural instincts. You can't put signs up for foxes to tell them to not kill cats because it is a family pet. If you don't want your hens eaten by foxes then try and make the area where hens are kept more secure from foxes. 

I am just fed up with wildlife being targeted because they don't suit our lifestyle because they are able to exploit the situations we have created.


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## Dolcé (8 January 2011)

houndsplease said:



			so not saying i know ur views on this subject but why when a fox kills someones lively hoods is that acceptable and when a hunt control foxes thats cruel. 

crazy
		
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I am not anti hunt, have never been although have followed on foot many times and have to admit I don't like thought of the 'end' but hunting is the reason we have the healthiest population of foxes in Europe and I was against the ban.  I think foxes are lovely to watch but when they start killing they will come back for more and so have to be dispatched (if you can catch them).  I can see them becoming a major problem as the population increases.  Chances are the people whose cat was killed are rural and are hunt supporters, the fact they allowed their vet son to catch and kill the fox shows they are not 'soft'.  If foxes this size become the norm then I think even those with small dogs will have to take care along with parents of toddlers!!


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## Dolcé (8 January 2011)

lizzie_liz said:



			I am sorry that arguement just doesn't hold with me I am afraid. In this instance a fox saw the cat as a potential food source and used its natural instincts. You can't put signs up for foxes to tell them to not kill cats because it is a family pet. If you don't want your hens eaten by foxes then try and make the area where hens are kept more secure from foxes. 

I am just fed up with wildlife being targeted because they don't suit our lifestyle because they are able to exploit the situations we have created.
		
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Where the hens are concerned, I agree with you, I take full responsibility for not having a pen secure enough to keep the fox out, we had become complacent - but I would still have killed it if I'd caught it, the hens were my pets and I was very angry!!  The fox may have used it's natural instincts but in the same way so did the humans, it is human nature to protect and to become angry when someone hurts our own - therefore they retaliated and ensured the fox couldn't do it again, as was likely to happen when it had done it once.


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## LizzyandToddy (8 January 2011)

The problem is, what else do you do with it?
Do you just let it go? - what if it gets a baby or a dog next time (rare yes, but it DOES happen)...

Release it in the countryside? Well what's the point in that? - they have already been driven into urban populations by their own overpopulation...

Foxes no longer legally have a natural predator, and so yes, there populations will explode, its like with anything, if there is too much of something then it does more damage than good. (people for an extreme example) Foxes are beginning to reach that point whether people will admit that to themselves or not...


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## DragonSlayer (8 January 2011)

Sarah sum1 said:



			Poor thing! 

They had to kill another to compare sizes! 

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Read it again, two were caught after he set the trap.


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## Luci07 (8 January 2011)

Saving this post. I can't tell you guys how many arguments I have had with people who do not believe me that foxes will kill cats. 

Like my neighbour in London who I had a stand up row with in the street when he accused me of allowing my staffie brindle bitch to "roam the streets at night, raiding his bins" me "my dog is not allowed out on her own, its a fox". Neighbour "don't be ridicolous, foxes don't live in Fulham." Me - "why don't you tell that to the very large dog fox living at the vicarge then?".

Not that sympathetic to foxes. I do believe in checks and balances and also lost lots of chickens to them in the past.


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## Sarah Sum1 (8 January 2011)

DragonSlayer said:



			Read it again, two were caught after he set the trap.
		
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So they say 

It says they caught two foxes after setting up the trap, it doesn't say that the smaller one was caught so they could compare sizes  But I bet that is why it was!


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## mystiandsunny (8 January 2011)

They'll end up having to officially cull foxes like they cull deer.  There are loads where my horses are - three or four that regularly use the field to cut through from the housing estate back into the woods.  No way could the local wildlife support that many - it's the bins that do!


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## DragonSlayer (8 January 2011)

Sarah sum1 said:



			So they say 

It says they caught two foxes after setting up the trap, it doesn't say that the smaller one was caught so they could compare sizes  But I bet that is why it was!
		
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...and it doesn't say it WAS for that reason, so we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, aren't we? But we can assume I suppose....


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## Tinkerbee (9 January 2011)

Excellent news! Now when we go out hunting all we need is a dead cat to justify it.

Ah, hypocrisy.


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## lizzie_liz (9 January 2011)

Due to the dynamics of the urban environment it is able to support a larger number of foxes mainly due to rubbish in bins which appear to attract foxes. This makes it easy picking for a fox. 

The other problem that arises is that some people will leave food out for badgers/foxes as they want to see him them in their garden. This is highly irresponsible, badgers and foxes do not need any help from us. All this does is attract foxes to the garden and so increasing the likelihood that they may attack an individual (human). Why can't the human race accept responsibility that alot of these incidents are due to us and in many cases not the wild species concerned.


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## ladyt25 (9 January 2011)

I think it's appalling that what looks like a very healthy fox was destroyed. As has been said, the fox wasn't doing anything wrong and people cause this problem by actively encouraging foxes in to their gardens.

I would imagine many more cats are killed by cars than foxes - should we then go shoot those drivers who are responsible for running over cats...???

It is so hypocritcal that hunting was banned (and I am NOT pro hunt) yet it is allowed for a healthy fox to be trapped (so no chance of escape) and killed because it did something natural but we don't agree with! Stupid.


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## Holly831 (9 January 2011)

Tinkerbee said:



			Excellent news! Now when we go out hunting all we need is a dead cat to justify it.

Ah, hypocrisy.
		
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Made me smile 

Having lost my peacocks and had lambs badly injured by foxes and my neighbours chickens AND one of my cats I personally would happily see the ones on my land dispatched. If the hunt was allowed to catch them then they would have an open invite. If they came and just killed what they needed to eat maybe I could accept them more but they kill for the sake of killing. Not a pleasent sight to see headless and injured chickens and lambs with great rips in them. I am all for live and let live but they are vermin and I am sure most people wouldn't allow rats to live in their gardens.....

I used to think they were cute but they are becoming more and more forward. My OH was taking photos of my horses on New Years Day when a large fox came almost within touching distance. We have some brilliant photos but its very worrying as we have sheep and also breed horses, I worry about my very young foals.


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## Serenity087 (9 January 2011)

We have a fox who can't be far off that size!! He's enormous!

They terrify me.  They're not scared of humans and they hang around the garden.  They'd attack children without second thought!

They've been known for killing all the local pet rabbits too!

We have a massive fox trap they won't go in (if someone could give me tips!!)

But at the end of the day, an englishman's home is his castle, and if I want to kill every fox in my garden, it's my right as they are listed as vermin, and there's nothing anyone can do!


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## SonnysHumanSlave (9 January 2011)

I guess the rules have changed now pets and children are getting attacked.

As said before I think there will be a need for a mass cull.... or the sea gulls will continue to grow in size, and instead of eating the rabbits in felixstowe, they will eat foxes instead! lol


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## lizzie_liz (9 January 2011)

Where did seagulls come into the debate?  There are a number of seagull species for a start. Herring Gulls are actually protected as believe it or not their population has declined in the UK by such an extent that they are classified as species needing protection, primarily as a result due to changing habitat affecting breeding sites. 

The only reason pets/children are getting attacked is because humans are spreading into the animals habitat and making the environment appealing for them. I just wish the human race would use its brain to realise the effect it is having on the world and take responsibility.


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## competitiondiva (9 January 2011)

Bounced said:



			Good grief, poor cat! What a grisly sight to wake up to.
		
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Did I miss something?????  Where was the proof of this fox killing the cat?????  All it said was the cat was on the doorstep when they went to bed, they saw a fox at the bottom of the drive and in the morning the cat had been killed......

so just because a fox was seen in the area, now makes it guilty (and who's to say this was the fox that was seen)????!!!!  Could it be justs as possible that a neighbours or a stray dog didn't kill it over the course of the night????  Alot more likely in my mind......

With regard to human intervention affecting foxes, yes I believe we are guilty, we feed them making them reliant on humans for survival, we try to domesticate them, therefore taking away their natural fear of humans!  If there is an issue with foxes in built up areas, we are the reason for it......

And size, yes that is a big fox, but I wouldn't say it was massively bigger than some I've seen, is that a vixen they are using in comparison to a dog fox???  They also don't lie the two in the same positions for easy comparison, they pose the bigger one in a pose that would make it look bigger naturally. 

Sorry to be a bit apprehensive about it.  Yes poor cat, but I don't think a story with no evidential support shouldn't be written, especially when it could and will scare alot of people who know nothing of foxes.


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## justforfun (9 January 2011)

I am glad that at last attention is being made public to the threat of foxes, they are vermin but are being treated as pets, I have always had a relative respect for them, but the last 2 years have brought an onslaught of them to my home, resulting in the slaughter of 95% of my pet chickens. The foxes have done this in daylight with my  dog barking in its face.
Animals mutate and its only a matter of time before they all grow bigger,bolder and stronger,and it will be my cat or even worse attacked.
I fully support the hunts and sit in fear for the day a fox attacks another human baby for people to sit up and take notice to this danger.
What will it take for people to wake up!


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## SonnysHumanSlave (10 January 2011)

lizzie_liz said:



			Where did seagulls come into the debate?  There are a number of seagull species for a start. Herring Gulls are actually protected as believe it or not their population has declined in the UK by such an extent that they are classified as species needing protection, primarily as a result due to changing habitat affecting breeding sites.
		
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I thought i'd add them in, but didnt realise they were endangered, clearly the population count was not done in felixstowe where there are hundreds if not thousands!  They tend to peck the eyes out of any rabbits or puppies they see, lift them onto the top of caravans, and eat they're prize!  Just they too are getting bigger in size I think, so Imagine so they'll be able to eat foxes.


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## lizzie_liz (10 January 2011)

I <3 My Teddi said:



			I thought i'd add them in, but didnt realise they were endangered, clearly the population count was not done in felixstowe where there are hundreds if not thousands!  They tend to peck the eyes out of any rabbits or puppies they see, lift them onto the top of caravans, and eat they're prize!  Just they too are getting bigger in size I think, so Imagine so they'll be able to eat foxes.
		
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- Herring Gulls have declined by 40% since 1970s
- Blackheaded gulls declined by 40% since 1980s

The problem has arisen through a loss of suitable breeding sites. Herring Gulls have always been large birds but they are classed as a menace due to the rise in fast food outlets and the increasing amount of human rubbish. This has allowed the gulls and foxes to exploit a supply of food that requires little effort, because at the end of the day they want to maximise energy gain with minimal energy lost. 

The story highlights why I was so horrified for BBC's Autumnwatch appearing to promote feeding badgers in the urban environment.


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## Serenity087 (10 January 2011)

competitiondiva said:



			Sorry to be a bit apprehensive about it.  Yes poor cat, but I don't think a story with no evidential support shouldn't be written, especially when it could and will scare alot of people who know nothing of foxes.
		
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Am I missing something? I used to work with foxes... and they SHOULD be feared!! They've wild animals with sharp teeth and claws!! They feel no loyalty for the hand that feeds, they're not dogs and they're not even cats, they're FERAL.

What's the harm in people being scared of them? They'd stop feeding them!

And us encroaching on them is rubbish.  Now it's almost illegal to kill them without hugging them first, there's just too many for them to get along.  They have to move back into areas they vacated for necessity!

Unfortunately, as people now think they're fresh out of disney, they feed them up and wonder why they're getting big and nasty.

If the Daily Mail wants to scaremonger, go ahead.

They're not cute and fluffy, they're savage.


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## SonnysHumanSlave (13 January 2011)

lizzie_liz said:



			- Herring Gulls have declined by 40% since 1970s
- Blackheaded gulls declined by 40% since 1980s

The problem has arisen through a loss of suitable breeding sites. Herring Gulls have always been large birds but they are classed as a menace due to the rise in fast food outlets and the increasing amount of human rubbish. This has allowed the gulls and foxes to exploit a supply of food that requires little effort, because at the end of the day they want to maximise energy gain with minimal energy lost. 

The story highlights why I was so horrified for BBC's Autumnwatch appearing to promote feeding badgers in the urban environment.
		
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Feeding badgers!!! 

I did not know that sea gulls are in decline!  There seems to be so many!!


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## immoralorchid (15 January 2011)

Serenity087 said:



			Am I missing something? I used to work with foxes... and they SHOULD be feared!! They've wild animals with sharp teeth and claws!! They feel no loyalty for the hand that feeds, they're not dogs and they're not even cats, they're FERAL.

What's the harm in people being scared of them? They'd stop feeding them!

And us encroaching on them is rubbish.  Now it's almost illegal to kill them without hugging them first, there's just too many for them to get along.  They have to move back into areas they vacated for necessity!

Unfortunately, as people now think they're fresh out of disney, they feed them up and wonder why they're getting big and nasty.

If the Daily Mail wants to scaremonger, go ahead.

They're not cute and fluffy, they're savage.
		
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compleatly agree !!!!


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## aussie rider (20 January 2011)

Not really sure how they compare to the ones here in OZ, size wise. But here farmers are allowed to shoot to kill.  This is, if they are on land or have gone the farmers stock.

However recently here, there was a farmer who shot and killed two animals and on further inspection they were pet dogs with collars.  They were not supposed to be on the farmers land and harrassing stock.  

Mistakes happen so hopefully people know what they are shooting or have your dos secure at home

AR


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## EAST KENT (22 January 2011)

Badgers like peanuts,peanut butter or lemon curd sandwiches...now I just KNEW you`d all be gagging for that info!


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