Cheeky foxes

[seadogg]

I have a little vixen who comes round about 11p.m for a little dog food scattered on the drive.
Unless my avatar is about she seems quite unperturbed by my presence, Do others find that foxes are losing their fear of us.

[woofgang]

I think like other wildlife, they learn who the soft touches are and where the safe food is.

[Jemisa]

Why are you encouraging vermin?

[hc4361]

And where the dustbins are.
My neighbour has been feeding them for years. One sits in my garden looking through the window at us.
There have been recent reports of foxes entering houses and attacking children.

[woofgang]

one recent report.......

[NazNomad]

If an animal learns that nothing is going to harm it, then it will exist quite comfortably alongside other species.

[jno]

they have also been treating London Zoo as a supermarket

http://www.telegraph....es-at-London-Zoo.html

[fredpuli47]

No, but they still come into the garden! There's a pair living in the woods nearby and they take it in turns to come in, looking for rodents in the shrubbery. They keep an eye out for my presence. If I'm the other side of the fence, they ignore me, but it's a different matter if I'm in the garden. Then they sneak out very quietly.
That's standard around here, and the behaviour of any rural fox. Foxes are intelligent chancers, Country ones still associate humans, and dogs, with danger, town ones have learned they have little to fear.

[andy-hughes]

There is a dog fox that visits a house a few doors away around 7:00 p.m. every evening for his tea - not sure what they feed him.

If tea is not there, he sits on the drive and waits.

The best thing is, if he is crossing the road and a car comes, he simply stares at it while it stops, and then continues on his stately way.

[seadogg]

Thanks for the interesting comments. We live very near a natural wood and open country and they are not strictly urban foxes. The real vermin round here are the poachers with powerful lamps! As long as my rockery bank voles are flourishing she is very welcome.

[Zeuhl]

We've been feeding the local fox wildlife for years.

They will come right up to the house though remain thankfully wary of us. Indeed they are respectful of our small dog and easily frightened. One was cornered in the conservatory by our old cat and let out pitiful cries until we rescued it.

They are in excellent condition and incredibly beautiful considering what a tough life they must have.

It's a privilege to be able to share our space with native wildlife.
.

[seadogg]

Thanks Zeuhl, another "soft touch" like us. You can't help having a soft spot for these opportunists.