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Subscribe to RSSA four-week-old baby in London, England, is recovering in hospital after a fox dragged him from his cradle and bit his finger off.
British police have confirmed they are investigating a fox attack on a 4-week-old baby at his home in Bromley, South-East London.
The baby was taken to hospital on Wednesday after the attack which left him with a hand injury. Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper reports the child was asleep when his mother heard a scream, then a heavy thud, as the baby was dragged to the floor.
Reports say one of the boy’s fingers was bitten off and had to be re-attached by surgeons.
In response to the startling attack, London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, said more must be done to tackle the problem of urban foxes.
At night time, it’s not unusual to see the animals in the city scavenging for food.
In 2010, baby twins were mauled by a fox as they slept in their cradles at home in East London. It entered the house through a back door which had been left open on a summer’s evening. Both girls suffered scarring to their faces and arms.
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Nothing a good dog won't take care of.
bow2me
If you're tired of bow2me spamming the boards whining about the new format vote here!
bow3me...Aside from your being completely mad, where did you read the baby was left outside?
Just the excuse the elite need to reinstate the barbaric and cruel fox hunt.
Debi, fox hunting has never stopped. What did occur was, under pressure from the civilized on this plant, killing the fox is outlawed. I cannot feature that it will be allowed again.
Humans have fouled much of this planet and mindlessly destroyed habitat. Our fellow creatures are adapting. Not surprisingly, human are not.
I live in rural U.S. and know I have fox as neighbors. I would never be as stupid as to allow any chance of them accessing my home. Even though I live half way round the world, I am well aware the U.K. has fox everywhere including in cities.
Kynetick-
Exactly what I was going to say. I hate when the first posters comment with misinformation because lately it seems people scan the comments and not the article and believe what was posted.
Everyone should read the articles, then post for crying out loud. Just like a book report assigned by a teacher. I have more respect for ones that do, even if they and I disagree.
You don't seem to read do you? The child was inside the house in it's crib when the fox dragged it out onto the floor. If people would read first, then re read if necessary, there would be so much less confusion. But I suppose it's in the government and the medias advantage for people to be led in the path both wish to convey. If the reader cant understand what they are reading. For instance, Treyvon Martin attacked Mr. Zimmerman as he was returning to his vehicle as he was told to do by the 911 operator, (its in the transcript) and he attacked him from behind. Of course the media would have everyone believe that Mr. Zimmerman walked up to Treyvon pulled his gun shot him then went to a nearby tree and slammed his head on it to cause injury, then deliberately rubbed gravel in the wounds to provide a cover story! That scenario fits the anti gun liberal medias purposes much more than what really happened. Second case of misinformation, At Sandy Hook the current story is the killer used an "assault rifle." After the attack, before a good story could be interjected to better fit the government's agenda. Before it was determined that having him use an assault weapon would make better use of the tragic event. When the police and the media first reported the horrific story it was reported that he used four handguns, and that an assault weapon was found in his car, then it comes out that what really happened was he used four handguns and a shotgun was found in the "Trunk" of his car. You pick out which story best suits the anti gun, anti American, liberal, pervert loving, pot smoking, liberals agenda the best! Never mind the truth just go with what suits you, the liberal anti American media does!
No Swipe'n Swiper...
Another reason why England's gun confiscation was a bad idea.. Mom could have offed it with a 9mm pistol.. Murders are as high as ever in jolly old England and the police are carrying assault weapons and pistols now because of the high instances of violence.. The US has far less violent crime per capita then they do but they are supposed to be a model for our future?? US street gangs are the big problem and Obama is ignoring that his people are the problem.. Take away American citizen's guns and arm Jihadists and revolutionaries of the world along with passing thousands of weapons to Mexican drug cartels, Obama's great plan??
############
US High in Gun Ownership, Low in Murder Rate
Several reports on gun ownership around the world clearly refute the
assertion that the abundance of guns in the United States leads to a high rate
of firearm homicides.
Americans are the biggest gun owners by far, with an estimated 270 million
civilian firearms, in addition to those used by law enforcement and the
military. That’s according to the Small Arms Survey of 178 nations conducted by
the Switzerland-based Graduate Institute of International and Development
Studies.
In sheer numbers of civilian firearms, the No. 2 nation, surprisingly, is
India with 46 million, followed by China (40 million), Germany (25 million),
Pakistan (18 million), and Mexico (15 million).
The United States also leads in gun ownership rate, with about 88 firearms
per 100 people, according to the most recent Small Arms Survey compiled in 2007.
That is far ahead of No. 2 Yemen, which has 55 firearms per 100 people.
Switzerland is third with 46 per 100 people, followed by Finland (45), Serbia
(38), Cyprus (36), Saudi Arabia (35), and Iraq (34).
But when it comes to the firearm homicide rate, the United States doesn’t
even make the top 25.
According to figures collected by the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and
Crime through its annual crime survey, 9,146 Americans were victims of a firearm
homicide in the most recent year. That translates to a rate of 2.97 firearm
homicides per 100,000 population, only the 27th highest rate in the world.
The highest rate by far can be found in Honduras, 68 homicides per 100,000,
followed by El Salvador (40), Jamaica (39), Venezuela (38.9), Guatemala (34),
and Colombia (27).
For America’s neighbors, the rate in Mexico is 9.9 per 100,000, and in
Canada, 0.5 per 100,000.
It is interesting to note that not only does the United States have a
relatively low homicide rate compared to its gun ownership rate, but
Switzerland, which ranks third in the civilian gun ownership rate, has only the
46th highest homicide rate, and Finland, with the fourth highest ownership rate,
is 63rd on the list.
“The most obnoxious liberal talking points on guns involve the idea that
guns, in and of themselves, cause gun violence,” writes CNS News commentator
Stephen Gutowski. “In other words, more guns must mean more gun violence.”
But in light of the ownership and homicide figures, he observes: “More guns
do not, in fact, mean more gun violence. Guns can be, and commonly are, used in
a responsible manner, especially here in the United States.”
Bow to me, yeah right, read the article.
"In 2010, baby twins were mauled by a fox as they slept in their cradles at home in East London. It entered the house through a back door which had been left open on a summer’s evening. Both girls suffered scarring to their faces and arms."
To the people of London. If your children are being mauled by Foxes it's not going to get better unless you do something about it. Too bad you let your government took away your God given right of self defense. Wild animals are best handled with a gun.
A good sling shot would work..or a bebe gun.
dam it dora...just keep the door closed...and quit playing with your monkey...watch the kid...
Good one plain bob! I guess they forgot to say "Swiper no swiping! Swiper no swiping! Swiper no Swiping!"
Amerall Yes the whole deal smells of a false flag.. Several of the interviewed grieving people have been identified as disaster actors.. The guy that testified to Congress said it all.. People with a lack of morals are the problem and the liberal are creating cities full of social aid dependant followers voting Democrats..
Roadrunnero; good blog on facts and fiqures; what should also be added is, the largest amount of homicides is with the inner city blacks, I believe at last count it is 64% of all firearm homicides in the United States, that is where the real problem is, the inner city black gangs!( i guess i will be deleted for this comment ,since the far left liberals on the vine, do not want to have facts, only emotions).
Right on roadrunnero.....they did ban hunting of foxes in england a few yeas back, with loss of habitat and over population of foxes their bound to have problems....
Former repub...its called a BB gun, not a bebe...slingshot! wtf
So are you saying chasing the fox is legal, but killing is not and the hunters are able to stop their dogs before the fox is torn to shreds?
AG - I'm thinking they may actually have had a small dog, and the fox came in through a doggie door.
Debi, a well-trained dog can be taught not to tear the prey. Setters & pointers are taught to seek out pheasants & such, & to point at a bird, not fall on it & shred it. Retrievers learn to retrieve downed birds & take them to the hunters, not to tear it apart themselves. These dogs are bred to be easily taught their particular skills---to be innately ready to learn them---so, yes, a well-bred foxhound should be easy to train to corner the prey but not attack it themself. These hunters are not just using any old mutt available.
Matt,
It is always a possibility. I will not have a dog door. I live in a very rural area where coyotes are prevalent and brazen, repeatedly devouring local pets and even threatening humans on occasion. Any opening that would allow my dog to exit will offer egress to the wildlife. I had a dog door years ago and they are very convenient, but also come with the risk that something else will use it, not just the dog.
I'm sorry for this family and sincerely hope the infant heals quickly.
Matt, here in the U.S., you hear about raccoons, skunks, & oppossums getting in through doggy doors, so you're probably right. Foxes are probably as smart as coons, & they're little enough to get in even smallest doors. I mean, if a possum can learn to do it......!
Good God do you people ever think about anything but your precious damn guns. You try and make every story a story about you...and your guns....and your rights ,comparing the US to another country. Get off of it.... not everything is about you.
We have the same types of problems here in the US with wild animals coming into houses and neighborhoods. Bear, Fox, Coyote, Deer, Bob Cat, Moose.....It doesn't mean shoot all of them. They where here first. We are sometimes within their territory, or destroyed their habitat to the point of them coming into our spaces to feed. If we are the care takers of the earth then we should know this and understand it.
The blame can not be placed solely on the animals. If this person, or anyone, knew that they lived in an area know to have roaming wild life it is up to them to ensure that they keep their home safe from entry, like shutting doors and windows for one.
I hope this child gets well soon. Unfortunately the only thing to do now is try and find the fox and destroy it so it doesn't attempt it again.
The foxes' small revenge for the Brits having slaughtered millions of their relatives in barbaric, senseless hunts throughout centuries for sport. Go foxes!
Here's an idea. How about closing and locking all windows and doors? Foxes stay out. Problem solved. I would never go to bed without securing my home first. That's just asking for trouble.
plain bob...thankfully my kiddos are past the Dora stage but thanks for the chuckle
This is not much different than the guy who got attacked by a bobcat in his garage. When you leave the doors to your home open, it is an invitation for the wild to enter. I don't know the exact percentage, but animals have a super strong sense of smell and the smell of food in your home is overpowering to their senses. So imagine a hungry animal in winter when food is scarce, and there's your door open and inside is the smell of plentiful food! For a fox, a baby caged in a crib is like a wrapped up club sandwich at Subway is to us.
Hmmmmmmm,
So it boils down to either "ban the foxes" or "ban the stupid parents that leave their home unsecured especially with infant children".
I think the solution is obvious.
Bubbacat:
Whether they kill the fox or not, what a thrill they must get chasing down a frightened, defenseless fox. I wonder how they'd like it done to them.
Mankind is sick.
Reminds me of that poor mother who was accused of killing her child in Australia thirty years ago when a dingo entered their tent and snatched her two-month old daughter. Nobody believed her and she was sentenced to life in prison. The conviction was later overturned but she had to endure years of additional grief by being accused of staging the whole thing.
I guess this case with the fox confirms that wild animals (and even pets sometimes) are capable of such things.
Right Steve, your only solution to man's stupidity (man has the brain capacity to know better) is to destroy the animal (who does not have the brain capacity to know better), just as you were given a brain and should know better.
That's why you DON'T LEAVE YOUR DOORS WIDE OPEN PEOPLE!! At LEAST have a screen door closed. Jeesh
@theKhanKubla ha! remember a few years back a jewish infant was snatched right from a stroller by a blackbear in newyork , guess he was in the mood for a kosher sandwich on jewish rye !
You folks do know it is WINTER in the UK, just as it is all over the northern hemisphere?
You realize how unlikely it is that anyone is "leaving the door wide open" in FREAKING JANUARY?
Please, please, grow a brain.
Are they sure it was a fox or are they hoping it is a fox?......
On the other hand many years ago a woman in Australia was accused of murdering her baby. She stated the baby was taken by a dingo if I am not mistaken. Think many years later it was shown that a dingo could have taken or did take the baby if I remember correctly.
Well anything is a possibility.... would have been easier to believe if it was a wolf or a dingo.. just saying....
Peace.... safety and security first... especially when it comes to children.
Or you know...you can maybe not leave your ****ing door open at night.
And since you want to make this about gun control...how about the fact that people in England can leave their door open and night and a FOX is their biggest problem? Is that the new fallback for gun nuts then? Don't let the Government take your guns or foxes will eat your baby?
Can't wait to see the commercials.
I've got a question. Where the hell is PETA in all of this? By what they say, Animals are something that would cuddle us and love us and should be respected and adored and allowed to do whatever they want without repercussions. Yet here we have Foxes eating babies. I take it if the owner shot that fox trying to protect their child, PETA would be squealing and crying like little children that the fox got hurt...
@Kynetick - Obviously, the fox got into the home which points to in some way, the home was left unsecured - a door or window open or even a pet door for those lazy people who can't take the time to let their pets in and out of the house themselves. Or they just didn't make sure a door was completely shut.
Unless of course you are suggesting that the family let the fox into their home purposely.
"Oh, poor fox, it's freezing outside. Come on in where it's warm little fox and have a bite to eat."
For Amerall and RoadrunnerO;
Now that the New Town (NOT "Sandy Hook") investigation has been reported on, it turns out that the killer used his mothers assault rifle to kill his innocent victims. Please Google ACTUAL new coverage of the report for the details about his handgun and shotgun. And RoadrunnerO, shame on you for repeating the crackpot notions that crazies have come up with about a conspiracy and false flag attack and "disaster actors". And shame on the ten fools that "voted" to support his ridiculous ranting. Please, all you anti-government morons, go join a cult if you haven't already, and please go meet the mothership.
There is no information in this article that a door or window was left open. We can only guess at how a fox got in the house. But the article did say that at night in London foxes are seen rummaging around the city for food. London has been an urban setting for well over 2,000 years, so I doubt that the local habitat has recently been fouled.
Could it be that there are more foxes in England, the south of England at least, because there is in England no natural predator to the fox and there are protections for the fox that until the past few decades didn't exist? So, if a fox is more valuable to you than a baby in its crib, then the argument that the people of England should do nothing about the fox population makes perfect sense.
I happen to think otherwise. I think that baby might grow up to do something special in this life. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure that fox will never cure cancer, or devise a useful computer application, or anything else of that sort. Which doesn't mean all foxes should be shot, but it does mean that just maybe the population should be thinned.
For those who remain unconvinced it would be useful, though I doubt you will look into this, to see how controlling, say, the deer hunt in various areas of the USA has led to an overpopulation of deer who, because there are too many of them for the available food (particularly in winter), end up starving to death. Yes, animal rightists are the most humane people on earth. Just ask them.
Here is one thing to consider as well about the wildlife in England and the rest of Europe. We live in the USA, a part of North America where there are hundreds of thousands of square miles of natural forests. There are no "NO" natural forests in England and Europe. They destroyed all of their forests over there, cut them down, burn them, destroyed them due to population, farming and Industrialization. Any wooded areas there today are due to them being replanted. When the first Europeans found America, the virgin forests here were a huge shock to them - something they wanted to exploit! So, in a way, the wildlife in Europe is almost dependant on humans. Anyhow, just a thought.
Nature did create natural predators to the fox, so where are they?
Or that baby could grow up to be a corrupt politician, greedy banker, or serial murderer, something thank goodness, the fox is incapable and will never be.
If man didn't eradicate the deer's natural predators, the wolves, nature would run perfectly the way it was meant to be.
No, it's humans who put their own selfish needs above everything else who ruin this world, including the animals who inhabit and have a place on this earth, too.
Time and circumstance, or if you prefer, evolution. People with big heads and small minds, think that we are special. I don't doubt that, if it entered their mind, dinosaurs felt the same.
The fact is, that we are only one more "temporary" rung in the evolutionary ladder. Not being clairvoyant, I have no idea whether our sojourn will be longer or shorter than average.
In the end, whatever we do to the foxes or whatever the foxes do to us, will be insignificant, even should they trigger a plague.
LOL!!! Yeah, all of those populations would be ridden with disease, uncontrolled growth and natural extinction... That IS what happened just couple years back when they reduced hunting limits in various regions around the US. Whether you choose to believe it or not, controlled harvesting of both predatory and prey animals actually keeps their populations stronger and healthier. {Check your local DNR for stats.} If you want evolution to be in TOTAL control, move out of your houses, quit your jobs, don't use ANY technology, and learn to be "at one" with nature... THEN we'ld REALLY see "survival of the fittest" in action as MOST of these "lip service" nature lovers would die of via "natural selection".
ie - To those who believe that people, guns and civilization are the problem and that mankind needs to be eliminated from the environment that "belonged to the animals first".... Lead by example.
{Extended pause...}
We're waiting... {sarcasm}
---
A typical slingshot or BB gun would not even scare a fox off.
A dog?! Get real! Most small and medium dogs would run from it, and the larger ones would be leery about getting anywhere near it unless it was trained. A bunch of over-educated "Know-Nothings" giving @!$%#TY advice... And conjecture. {AG99, Debi, Steveλ, et al.}
Almost every single game warden would tell you that if ANY wild PREDATOR got that bold or a taste of human flesh that is would become more of a menace, and it would be MANDATORY for them to "put down" {KILL/EXTERMINATE!}.
So when it all boils down... Yeah, they SHOULD have had a REAL gun.
Time for England to ban foxes -- because they're just too damn dangerous for Polite Civilized Society.
spiddas:
I am a gun owner, but I am not small minded enough to believe the answer to everything is a gun.
Where did I say it was always the answer? Anytime one deals with a wild predatory animal, (or one that is rabid), it's always going to be the best choice. Either as a deterrent or final option.
It was your only answer.
Typical "liberal" type thinking... Twisted and out of context.
This is a SINGLE topic that is being discussed. Not an all-inclusive argument.
YOU said:
I said:
Complete, IN CONTEXT statements... "Everything" is most certainly not this particular, SPECIFIC incident. You ARE mixing the two. Wild animals are NOTHING to be trifled with. So thou art either small-minded or just a simpleton on the topic at hand...
Spiddas-
You are great at debating. Very refreshing to read here. Too bad more people can't do it without using grammar and sticking in the 'net version of tv bleeps by using the characters @#%&#$@ and nasty name calling.
I guess the one's who do throw out the characters feel a little more smug that they're not actually swearing online. I'm no angel in that department though. My 25yr old son says I could make a sailor blush but I don't speak that way out in public.
Yikes! I guess I've got a little smugness going on.
I hope the baby won't suffer any infection from this attack. A finger, especially one lost at such an early age won't affect quality of life much. The Mom is the one who's going to have the nightmares.
Spiddas:
What is all this gobblygook you're spouting?
We're not talking about a lion or a tiger...it was a friggin' little fox. There was no mention of a gun being used, so they probably scared it away by shouting or chasing it, which turned out to be the "best" way for everyone. Now the parents won't leave their child or home so exposed and there won't be a problem, unless you think since the fox now has "the taste of human blood", next time he'll use a key. Lol
Faerieschyld:
Thanks for the compliment.
Since I've worked 3 of the 4 occupations known for having the worst vocabulary, trucking, warehousing, and construction, {sorry, wasn't in the military}, you'ld have a hard time making me blush. Yeah, I know the 7 words you can't say on television... ~_o
The thing is, if one is going to make a valid debate attempt, they must always put aside personal "feelings" and stick to facts, statistics and logic. Otherwise, what's the point. And the thing I find most humorous is that I don't have Bull @!$%#, Moronic Dunce, or Piled Higher & Deeper after my name. I just research the facts and study the cause and effects of history and the events thereof. I think my grandfather was correct when he said that some people are so-o-o-o intelligent that they outsmart themselves... 0_o
Take care and see ya 'round the Vine...
More must be done to tackle the problem of urban foxes?? Why is it that people are never responsible for ANYTHING? How about not leaving your doors and windows wide open? "Gee, I can't believe these wild animals aren't respecting my boundries. Something has to be done about their hooliganism!"
Ohhhhh Debi-1314897
Again, there is a pretty blue link above to go and read the original article. The mother kicked and kicked the fox until it let go. English city homes don't have screen doors,I don't know why. Here I am assuming which I loathe to do, that the family was renting and the home came that way.
The back door was broken and being repaired!!!!!!! So she's not an unfit,bad slovenly, or uncaring parent. The family has also moved again I'm assuming, to a home with no broken doors.
There is also a picture posted in the above said original article that shows the largest fox killed the the urban areas so far. The thing is huge, not a "little" cute fox as Disney loves to portray. They have really done a disservice to society's psyche, should of stuck with Mickey.
If it was me in that situation and I had a gun and didn't have to rush my baby to the hospital, I would hunt it down and shoot it. It obviously has no fear of humans anymore. That is the absolute best reason to have a gun. Defend and protect. At best I would've tried and grabbed it by the tail and kept smashing it against the wall until it was dead, even if it was trying to chew my arm off because it attacked my baby.
I realize that the fox probably would slip my grasp, although there have been reports of mothers lifting cars off of their children trapped underneath it so it could be possible.
It's a good thing many of these people were not living 200 years ago, or they would have never survived living among real wildlife.
Lol Faerieschyld, I can picture the drama of you and the 20 lb. ferocious fox in a real MMA or wrestling match.
So some of you are actually suggesting that this baby should have been armed?! I love how the same insane wackos pop up in every thread making even the most non-gun related stories into a gun discussion. I am starting to think that the NRA is planting people in here or something.
FYI foxes are kinda like racoons and cats. They're smart and can get into some pretty crazy places. There's a ton of them in Northern VA and they get into your garbage even when you think it's locked up tight or out of reach. Glad the baby's going to be OK.
Reading comprehension seems to be a bit lacking in this entire thread...
Jeffor, looking at all of the previous posts, there is not one mention of arming the baby. That's just being facetious. The only mention was that the government doesn't trust the people with guns in the UK, and that having a gun would have significantly shortened this episode.
And with what you've shown that you DO know about foxes, you would also know that in most every case where you are dealing with what THEY consider to be THEIR meal, {human or not}, one cannot scare them off very easily at all.
Having grown up in the more rural regions of the state, I am aware of how mischievous and deadly these
"precious little"foxes can be. Anyone remember the farmer's nightmare of foxes in the hen-house, or are most of you too young to remember things like that? Though we are dealing with the current "fox" in thewhite house, er, hen-house...I was attacked by a fox last week...Not even a dinner first...I get so tired being treated like a piece of meat!
Lol you know what I meant. Everything becomes a gun argument. Besides, you are saying that a gun would have helped in that situation. So someone should have been firing shots at the fox while it was next to a baby? How is that better? Or maybe you would run in, kick the baby out of the way and then shoot the fox. Once again, guns are the answer even when it means discharging them in close proximity to a baby.
Also, foxes will run away if you yell at them. Most of them are smaller than the average dog. We used to shoo them out of our apartment's dumpster in VA all the time, interestingly enough without the aid of guns. I know. I must be some kind of superman.
No Jeffor, just a logical thinker who doesn't feel the need to destroy animals when there are other, non killing methods.
A dingo ate my baby!
Sorry to hear that. Nothing to do with this story, though.
Dont leave doors open.
ban foxes!!!!!!!!!
Cowtown -
That would be the British thing to do. You did hear about them wanting to pass kitchen knife control, yes?
I agree....this weak *ss story didnt say how the fox gained entry! They arent cats, so they dont climb well. They arent very large to force open a door....so ya I would guess the door was left open or maybe a doggy door? Hmmmm....enquiring minds want to know! :/
Hmmmmmmmmmm... maybe try rereading the article
@angie-2761085
maybe you need to reread the article
Tallyhoo!
And this is why they have those "fox hunts" that conservationists say are so inhumane...
tsk tsk.. unintended consequences...
To be fair, you can't really "tally-ho!" through downtown.
@AG99, sure you can. Last time I was in downtown England I counted at 30 ho's.
No but the fox's don't LIVE in town do they. They just come in to scavage.
sounds like the foxes are hungry maybe the Brits have killed off all the varmints the foxes ate. Who would leave a back door open knowing they have wildlife in the area. Open a window and have screens in them or not open them all the way . Good grief
Bow2me, you've never had children have you. You're young and dumb. Grow up.
Judas, as they say in jolly old, brilliant!
By not hunting, the fox population has grown and needs to expand, obviously into towns. Eating food with the smell of humans (like rummaging the trash cans) reduces their fear, also trains the fox (or any wild animal) that the cent of humans means food to them, not fear! Like a cougar eating pets, with the cent of humans on them, the next logical step is eating humans. I have seen this many time in Colorado.
@Dav1bg
You've seen lots of humans being eaten by cougars in Colorado? I don't think so. Proofread before you click.
The cougars eat jogger in California now too......I guess they are not as fast as the mountain lions there. They got a mountain biker there too...he must have been very slow. If an animal looses it fear like the cougars they just look at humans as one more food source....specially the small humans. Mountain loin attacks in California are going up. They have no fear of people anymore there.....
There was a Elk Hunter here in Arizona that was face to face with a lion last fall.....about 6 miles from my home!
I can understand how a fox might get into a home in summer. I'm wondering how it got into the home in winter?
Maybe they had a doggie door, or perhaps it pushed through an ajar window or screen. I want to live in London if it is safe enough to leave a door open.
It says the back door was left opened .
suz722 the back door being left open referred to a case 2010, not to this case. Please read the story more closely.
uh.... I would say it walked in, the same way they would in the summer ;)
suz722-
If you click on the blue link of the original article from the British press it says:
"after a fox entered through their back door, that had been left open because it was broken and was awaiting repair."
That article also reports the family has moved. No kidding. I would too.
On top of that the article goes on to report from a neighbor:
"We get foxes in our garden all the time. My son recently saw a fox walking along the fence like a cat."
Clever critters, aren't they?
Guess they have never heard of screen doors in England? Even the steel security doors will allow fresh air through the house, but nothing bigger than a bug will come through. I leave the big doors open in the spring and summer up to about Thanksgiving, so I don't have to use the A/C all that much. I have deadbolts on the steel security doors and an alarm system attached to them. If I sun-screen them, nothing comes in -- not even mosquitos. My pet door has a "lock" on it, so nothing goes in or out. Since my precious kitty passed, I keep it locked. There are pet doors that are adjustable so your pet can go in and out, or out only. Wonder if they know of this type of door over there?
Poison. Bait. = dead Fox.
You introduce poison into a particular ecosystem, you can start off a chain of events that you never meant to. A poisoned animal dies. Something else eats it. The poison gets passed along, kills another one. If something else eats that one......on & on. It wouldn't be too big a stretch of the imagination to consider that a pet might enter into that cycle at some point.
I think trapping might be one of the few viable options, since guns are out of the question & a hunt through city streets wouldn't play out too well.
I'm all for letting to animals take the earth back over, do away with the guns and you only get a pointed stick to defend your self. We could lower the population and get rid of a lot of the really stupid people on earth all in the same sweep. Works for me!!! Only the fast and ingenious will survive.
Poison, bait=dead baby.
I'm gonna catch me a fox, and cut his tail off!
get a racoon tail...if you really want to look cool...
Get any kind of tail, doesn't matter. Then you can look just like Mr. Cool himself; Ted Nugent. So what if fox hunts are banned. Laws don't stop the likes of Mr. Cool Nugent. Just don't get caught like he was poaching in Alaska. Hey; maybe he thought he could help control the baby seal population so they don't get slaughtered every year, and it's all in the name of conservation. His guns will save them from being victims of the big clubs and the knives they use to skin them alive. Ted Nugent...Protector of animal rights.
As much as I sympathise for this poor little baby, I just cant understand how a fox managed to get into the home and in beside the child without the parents knowing??? Rather irresponsible I think! I feed a local fox and she still keeps her distance from us but we would certainly know if one managed to get into our home! We live next to woodland although only minutes from the city centre too so it would be very easy for them to try to gain entry but we are just sensible about leaving doors or windows open and would be even more careful if we had children in the house!! You never know who or what could end up sneaking into your home now-a-days! If we perhaps stopped building houses in the countryside or green areas for our ever-expanding self-obsessed human population, then perhaps the wildlife( yes foxes are wildlife-the term pest is just one that us humans have put upon creatures that we do not see as beneficial to us as humans!) would be able to live happily away from us and our rubbish and our vehicles that run them over and other human scum who think it is fun to rip them to bits with their dogs!! Maybe then we wouldn't have situations like this! Why don't we try controlling our own population instead of culling animals for a change!!! BORIS!!!
I'm with Lenny1! We are to be all creatures care givers, not just our selves!
Here it's against the law to feed wildlife. First you don't have the proper food (are you feeding them live rodents and insects?) Secondly, it teaches them to come to where humans are to eat, which is dangerous for humans (they drag off babies, I've heard..plus diseases like rabies...I suppose you still have rabies even in the civilized pillar of humanity which England is?) and dangerous for wildlife, for obvious reasons. Then we have this little germ of wisdom "If we perhaps stopped building houses in the countryside or green areas for our ever-expanding self-obsessed human population, then perhaps the wildlife( yes foxes are wildlife-the term pest is just one that us humans have put upon creatures that we do not see as beneficial to us as humans!) would be able to live happily away from us and our rubbish and our vehicles that run them over and other human scum who think it is fun to rip them to bits with their dogs!! Maybe then we wouldn't have situations like this! Why don't we try controlling our own population instead of culling animals for a change!!!" Where is your house...could it possibly be next to a "woodland"? Could it be that at one time your very own house was part of that woodland? No?? Never??? You don't produce rubbish? and where does it end up? How is it you are transported around? you walk everywhere?
Lenny 1 ..... I believe your heart is in the right place but, you're messing up here.
Where there is one fox there are more. You're feeding one and it really is only a matter of time before the group loses it's fear of humans.
Just about the time that you don't feed them they'll venture towards your neighbors for a hand out. It might be your neighbor's pets or your neighbor's kids if they don't get their expected hand out.
You really need to stop. You're not helping.
First of all the article doesn't say what time of day the fox snuck in,and and I highly doubt it came in making as much noise as it could. Predators hunt quietly or they starve.
If it was at night 4 week old baby=very tired parents, so they'd probably be trying to catch a few winks and since the fox would be QUIET, I can very well understand them not hearing it. I can understand the Mom not hearing it in the day either,washing clothes,doing dishes, having the tv on. What you're going to deprive the new Mom of some relaxation?
There are coyotes around where I live that choose to scavenge close to and in the outer part of the city and there is wide open countryside just past the last subdivision. In Chicago a small pack broke a guy's heavy glass door chasing after one of his dogs. These cute little foxes and coyotes are very good at hiding and stalking prey, and since they're not the largest one's they'll go after smaller prey and unfortunately a 4wk old baby fits the bill.
Don't feed the animals,through away trash and secure your garbage cans. That's just the way it has to be.
foxes usually live in a 25 mile radius and don't cross paths of others. They don't live in packs like wolves etc. People can live side by side with wildlife only if humans have common sense which many do not. Maybe it was just revenge for all the fox huntings that the Brits are so highly into. Farther more I think there just seems to be something missing here and we may find out more later. Maybe the pet dog, etc.
I have to go w/ Burgh here. Wild animals are unpredictable. Just because one seems "tame", that does not = domesticated ( &, heck, domesticated animals will surprise you, sometimes very unpleasantly). A wild animal that seems too tame may actually be very sick, & not something to get too close to. Wild animals too used to humans may come poking around more & more, & if you're not there w/ a hand-out, well, that little puppy or kitten will do just fine, thank you....or maybe a tiny baby, whatever's handy.
suz,suz,suz-
Wild animals do not have a sense of revenge. That is a personality trait of humans and one that has sunk into society's consciousness thanks to Disney and other movies.
Now my cats on the other hand....
suz722 .....you need to do some serious reading on the social habits of foxes. (And, maybe look around the neck of the woods where I live.)
Don't give me that crap that only one fox runs around in a 25 sqaure mile territory alone with no other of it's kind around.
Rediculous !!!
Lenny - Please stop feeding the foxes. It gets them accustomed to humans being a source of food, making them more likely to be a carrier of disease, and altering their normal habits. Let wild animals be wild animals.
I live in the SE US. Let me tell you, we have foxes around here galore and they are smart creatures. That family could have had their doors shut and locked but the window open and even with a window screen, a fox could have easily gotten through the screen.
I'm reading through the comments and the people sympathizing with the fox really annoy the hell out of me. I'm not saying the foxes need to be killed off. I'm just saying, why aren't you sympathizing with your fellow humans? Do you hate your own species that much? Seems a bit odd to me.
foxes kill...ban foxes;-)
can't shoot them in merry old England either. Yes, I know you don't want to shoot inside a house...for a trivial reason like your baby is being attacked. After all, he made it and his finger was reattached. No big deal.
No big deal, huh? Either you're joking or your just an idiot.
I'm an idiot. gee, peterhead, don't get yer panties in a wad. It doesn't becum you.
.
Bow2m3, once every 100 years? The article specifically mentioned it happening in 2010, which would be 2-1/2 or 3 years ago.
Long guns are legal in England, just not handguns.
You certainly are misinformed today.
Time to saddle up, release the hounds and go shoot some foxes!
They can't J Peterman, England doesn't allow it's citizens to own guns, it doesn't even let the cops carry guns.
are you joking ,or are you an idiot? You can't put a saddle on a hound, nor can you shoot the poor little foxes...not in merry old England. Wonder what made them so merry? "Merry"...a synonym for "gay" Maybe that's it. You know "People are definitely aware that gay used to mean 'happy', 'merry', or 'lively'. The theme song to The Flintstones talks about a gay old time" now we're getting somewhere.
Are foxes gay? Why are we talking about gay foxes? Oh, it's NBC and you're suppose to talk about everything except the article...I'm getting the hang of it.
hey lady keep an eye on ur kids, and close the dam doors...geesh
uhhh...that would just be to easy and people would be forced to use logic! Think you forget the times we live in! lol
Lenny1 - don't FEED THE FOOKING FOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It IS wildlife and you are screwing with it's behaviour.
Was the infant attacked by fox news or a real fox. Because we all know fox news will attack anyone including an infant.
The mother had dated the fox. He was someone she new, someone she trusted. Poor little red riding hood.
The red fox is not a solitary creature, but live in family groups. They can go 30 pounds.
Infant baby has little chance.
At least on MSN fox news seems to be the party constantly under attack so I suppose anything that looks, acts like or even carries a similar name should very quickly run and hide!!!
mpa; Fox are solitary hunters. They only have a family until the kits are old enough to fend for themselves. They then are left by the mother.
I would like to know how the fox go into the house this time. It is NOT summer over there. As for the comment of 'the dingo ate my baby'--that's from an actual incident in Australia many years ago; the mother was on trial for killing her infant, when, in fact, it was taken from their tent (during a camping trip) by a dingo. There was a movie made about that.
I am so glad this infant in London will be OK.
I trapped when I was in my teens and 20's and I could believe such behavior from coyotes but foxes are usually much more secretive and afraid of humans. I imagine a large part of the problem is a lot of people feed these animals thinking they are cute and the foxes get used to being around humans. Too often people try to attach human reasoning to a dog or cat...or fox, but the reality is all of these animals are dangerous around a new born whom they see as simply being prey. Humans tend to forget we are also animals and we are not always at the top of the food chain in every circumstance.
Carl Bowman
So you trapped. The reality is that humans are dangerous around animals whom they see as simply being prey.
Loose the hounds!
Wow! The red jacket set must be thrilled!
For all those people freaking out, calling the parents unfit because a fox got into their house...Calm the Hell down. The baby was in their HOME. They were HOME. How many of you stand over your baby while it naps? Ever try to go take a poop without the baby? Do you spend 24/7 standing over the baby so a weird unforseeable incident does not happen? No, the baby is napping, you shower, eat, try to fold laundry. No one expects something to chew though the screens and try to eat your kid. Its a freak thing that happened. All you hovering helicopter parents need to back off. Not everyone is obsessed with making sure their kids don't grow into functioning adults. Because that is what helicopter parents breed. Non-functioning adults. Sometimes things happen, and we just deal with it.
Typical English solution....do nothing. Okay well a "slight" solution would be to have a bounty...say 5 euros per tail...equates to a confirmed kill...clean your yards up to remove either nesting or feeding grounds....humane traps to avoid hurting someone's pet but don't release the fox in another territory...just releasing an animal already reliant on humans means they will return, thus making it someone else's problem...end the problem. But we are talking about a country that did nothing with their rat population for years which in turn was the cause for the bubonic plague, killing almost a third of the population.
The plague came from Eastern trade routes, namely China.
To Rob B - Euros are not the currency of the UK, Pounds are. At least have a little knowledge of a country before you criticize it.
How about you just don't leave your ****ing door open at night?
If you live in the country, chances are you don't leave your door open when you're sleeping. If a coyote wanders through the door to your country home while you're sleeping, it's not because a war needs to be waged against them, it's because you're an idiot.
But it's so much more fun to see how many tails you can collect. Do they have to be dead before you cut them off? If it's a kit, do you only get paid half as much for the tail?
how did it get in? isn't it winter there?
Simple, screens on windows and doors-foxes can't get in---and if the fox got in i winter, how? Unsecured pet door for a cat? it would not enter if it was for a dog. I don't know if I can believe tho story--it could have been from their own dog or even their own very large cat and the child fell in the process, not "dragged". Or it could have been from another type of accident such as the finger getting stuck or caught and ripped off in the crib. If the fox ripped off the finger it wold have have taken it and run like hell---not left it. Thank goodness whatever happened to the baby, the finger is being reattached. I wish the tyke a speedy recovery-but I am not buying this story-I think there is something more to it and not a fox.
Cultural difference: in GB your child might be harmed by a stray fox; in the US your child might be harmed by a nut with the equivalent of a gattling gun.
Therefore by your logic, is the appropriate governmental response to ban foxes?
When did our government ban guns? I missed that one.........
Obviously you don't know much about gattling guns.
Because weight is the determining factor, and not lethality.
Watch out folks, we have a genius on our hands.
Lets send our oh so smart and wise president Obama over there to ban the fox, I'm sure a ban would help. Or better yet, the fox must be hungry, lets give it free food and housing that way it won't have to snatch babies from their beds, and a free phone to call their fox friends over for tea!
I have a better idea - let's send you back to Faux Noise to post your bs. Oh wait ...no free speech allowed on the "fair and balanced" anymore.......
No, you don't have free speech here. The First Amendment only applies to laws that Congress may pass that restrict your speech. It does not and never has applied to any speech anywhere else at any time.
You know, you haven't posted anything here today that shows even the slightest spark of intelligence in your head. Maybe you should follow the dictum that you can keep quiet and let everyone wonder if you are a fool, or open your mouth and prove it.
I know; let's send noyindebbie and her family over to England and use them as bait to get the fox out of hiding. That will solve the fox population in England, and the noyindebbie population here.
Gives a new meaning to having a fox in your bed...
On a more serious note, I've spoken to folks out there about the problem and it's probably about time it's getting a new look.
if you get a fox in your bed just watch it don't bit your thing off.