Was it a paid for study in disease spread in foxes?

I have waited since the 16th March, 2026 for a response from Bristol University regarding the very prevalent rumour that its old Mammal Group deliberately spread mange in the fox population. See https://foxwildcatwolverineproject.blogspot.com/2026/03/was-mange-deliberately-spread-in.html    

I have never known any organisation so unwilling to just scrap rumours like this. I have tried to get a response from Bristol University since 2020. Nothing.

Is it possible that they were responsible for the decimation of all but 6% of Bristol foxes? I have no idea but it has often been mooted that foxes in the UK being spread out in towns, cities and countryside (despite falling population numbers) are the ideal animal to monitor to see how  disease might spread. 

Although we have not had rabies (apart from travellers returning infected from outside the UK) since the 1920s in the UK there has always been rabies scares -as in the 1970s. "How fast could rabies spread in the UK from an infected fox?" Well, hopefully no one is insane enough to test that!  

In the paper The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) as a source of zoonoses Valeria Letkova et al note:

  

"The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the most widespread and abundant predator on earth, living in almost all habitats of the Northern Hemisphere, such as woodlands, mountains, deserts or even suburban and urban environments. Moreover, the red fox is the main carrier and vector species of the most important endemic zoonoses, as fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, Toxocara canis and nematode Trichinella spp. This makes the fox a highly controversial and emotional species with great potential public involvement and of fundamental importance as far as management issues are concerned."

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the most widespread and abundant predator on earth, living in almost from VETERINARSKI ARHIV 76 (Suppl.), S73-S81, 2006 

all habitats of the Northern Hemisphere, such as woodlands, mountains, deserts or even suburban and urban Although most studies in the 2000s are looking at parasite spread for various reasons in the pre 2000 era virulent disease was a concern. Was mange used as a substitute for rabies to see how fast it could spread? 

The big problem I have is how the mange in 1994/1995 spread throughout the Bristol fox population as quickly as it did. Foxes are territorial and so do not travel all over a city and one the size of Bristol would need an infected at the centre of population in North, South, East and West Bristol for it to spread so fast and quickly.

Was it a paid for study in disease spread in foxes?

Incompetent Wildwood Trust Kent Slaughters Wolf Pack

  Another establishment which is so badly run that it decides to slaughter an entire wolf pack. How long will this go on/

Wildwood in Kent should be banned from keeping any wolves in future.

The statement:

Those who have visited the park will be aware that the wolf area has recently been closed.

There has been a severe escalation in aggressive behaviour within the Wildwood Kent wolf pack, resulting in multiple life-threatening injuries.

Due to the volatility within the pack, our team has been unable to safely intervene or provide the level of veterinary care required.

We are deeply saddened to share that, following this serious and rapid breakdown in pack dynamics, the decision was made to euthanise our wolf pack this morning.

This decision has been made following detailed discussions between our experienced animal management team and veterinary professionals.

Anyone familiar with Wildwood's work will know that animal welfare is always our highest priority. Euthanasia is only ever considered as a last resort. Over a prolonged period, extensive efforts have been made to manage the pack, support individuals, and prevent escalation. However, the situation presented an ongoing and unacceptable risk to welfare, and we were no longer able to ensure the safety or quality of life of the animals within the group.

The park was closed during this time to allow this to be carried out safely, calmly, and with the respect these animals deserve.

This is an incredibly difficult moment for our team. We are all heartbroken. Many of our staff have cared for these wolves over a long period of time, and this loss will be deeply felt.

We appreciate your understanding and compassion.

The Wildwood Trust team.

Shame on Germany To Allow Wolf Killing

The above image went out with the news item and gives the impression of savage and dangerous wolves.

 Typical that hunters/farmers with money and politicians in their pockets should succeed. This will mean many wolves killed as shooters claim "They were a threat to livestock".

Germany is fast losing its reputation for environmental and wildlife conservation.  It is always "re-introduce them" then "Too many -kill them!"

 Germany is moving toward allowing wolf hunting after its lower house of parliament passed a controversial law aimed at managing the country’s growing wolf population.

The decision comes after a sharp increase in wolf numbers over recent decades and a rise in attacks on livestock, which has fueled pressure from farmers and rural communities.

The new legislation would make it easier to shoot wolves, especially in areas where repeated livestock killings occur, marking a major shift from the country’s previous strict protections.

The move has sparked intense debate, with supporters arguing it’s necessary to protect livelihoods, while conservationists warn it could undermine decades of recovery for wolves, which had once been driven to extinction in Germany before making a comeback.

Was Mange Deliberately Spread in Bristol in 1994/1995?

 To start with; this is not an accusation but notes on rumours Bristol University will not respond to.

(c)2026 respective copyright owner

I have repeatedly asked Bristol University for access to its now defunct mammal group (led by Prof. Stephen Harris) papers on foxes. I either get silence or am told that I do not qualify for such access. The British Fox Study started in 1976 and continues today which, obviously, is far longer than the Bristol Uni study.

Most of the old Uni study data featured in books by Prof. Harris but a great deal remains archived (IF we believe what has been written).

Who funds Bristol University ?

• UK Government & Research Councils: Funding for research and infrastructure comes through bodies like the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC), and Research England.
• Tuition Fees: Income from UK and international student fees, managed through student finance systems.
• Endowments & Donations: The university holds numerous endowment funds established by benefactors, which are invested ethically to support research and scholarships. Approximately £70m held in endowments.
• Alumni & Philanthropy: Support for research and entrepreneurship is provided by donations from alumni and friends.
• Industry Partners: Research grants and collaborations with external commercial organizations. 

My interest lies in the fact that over a period of 10 years I have received emails/messages from

 people who worked at or were connected with Bristol University. Each one notes that "it was

claimed" that the mammal study introduced mange (which killed approximately 95% of the Bristol

urban fox population.

The Mammal Group noted that for an "unknown reason" one of their radio collared study foxes 

suddenly left the City.  And "suddenly" it re-appeared and had mange which was studied as it 

spread throughout the fox population.  Each of the people who contacted me stated that this was work 

funded by a UK government office to see how fast a disease/virus *such as rabies) could spread

throughout urban fox populations.

I asked Bristol University to refute the claim and release any data gathered on such a major

outbreak that almost wiped out foxes in the City. They have refused on every occasion which, 

obviously, means that the rumours and suspicions continue. 

WHY the silence?

Helper/Aunt Vixens

 

 (c)2026 respective copyright owner

I've mentioned "Aunt" foxes before and how foxes living in a leash (a family group) help vixens out with cubs. Here is an explanation of one way they do that.

Vixens (female red foxes) acting as wet nurses is a phenomenon known as alloparenting or "helper" behavior—often occur in social groups where young females (typically daughters from the previous year) stay with the breeding pair to help raise the new litter. The hormonal mechanisms driving this behavior involve the same hormones responsible for biological motherhood, primarily prolactin and oxytocin, often stimulated by the presence of cubs and social factors.

Here is the breakdown of the hormonal role:

• Prolactin (The "Mothering" Hormone): High levels of prolactin are essential for initiating and maintaining lactation in mammals. In sub-dominant helper vixens, the presence of kits and the social structure of the den can trigger increased prolactin production, enabling them to produce milk even if they have not given birth themselves.

• Oxytocin (The "Let-Down" Hormone): This hormone triggers the contraction of mammary glands, ensuring the expulsion of milk during nursing. It is released in response to the tactile stimulus of nursing (suckling).

• Alloparental Lactation Stimulation: The "helper" vixen may be induced to lactate by the high levels of progestin (progesterone) and estradiol during the breeding season, coupled with the stimulation of seeing or caring for the cubs.

• Behavioral & Hormonal Bonding: The act of grooming, hugging, and sitting with the cubs is crucial for bonding and potentially triggers the necessary hormonal responses, including a decrease in the stress hormone cortisol, which helps the vixen feel comfortable nursing, even if they aren't the primary mother.

The Red Paper 2022 Volume I: Foxes, Jackals, Wolves, Coyotes and Wild Dogs of the United Kingdom and Ireland

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361 pp

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 When the Doggerland bridge flooded the British Isles became separated from

Continental Europe and its wildlife developed uniquely. The British Isles, for the purpose of this work includes Ireland, and isolated the wolves on both became what would be island species not affected by the usual island dwarfism. These wolves, after millennia. Became “unwanted” and forests and woodland was burnt down or cut down for the specific purpose of lupicide; the killing of every and any wolf –and there was a bounty for “a job well done”.

At the same time there also developed three unique island species of Old fox from the coyote-like Mountain or Greyhound fox, the slightly smaller but robustly built Mastiff or Bulldog fox and the smaller Common or Cur fox –the latter like today’s red foxes had a symbiotic relationship with humans.

These canids were mainly ignored until it was decided that they could provide fur and meat and those things earn money. From that point onward, especially after all other game had been killed off, the fox faced what writers over the centuries referred to as vulpicide –extermination through bounties paid, trapping or hunting and despite all the hunters noting that the Old foxes were nearing extinction they continued to hunt until by the late 1880s the Old were gone and replaced by the New –foxes imported by the thousands every year for the ‘sport’ of fox hunting and this importation also led the the UK seeing the appearance of mange (unknown before the importations).

The travelling British sportsmen went coyote, wolf and jackal hunting and on returning to England wanted to bring a taste of this to “the good old country”. Wolves, jackals and coyotes were set up in hunting territories from where they could learn the lay of the land and provide good sport later. Some hunts even attempted to cross-breed foxes, jackals and Coyotes.

Then there were the legendary –almost mythical– “beasts”; the black beast of Edale, the killer canids of Cavan and the “girt dog” of Ennerdale.

In more recent times raccoon dogs and arctic foxes have appeared in the UK; some released for ‘sport’ while others are exotic escapees long since established in the countryside.

If you thought you knew what fox hunting was about prepare to be woken up by a sharp slap to the face and the reality that, by admissions of hunts themselves, this was all about fun and sport and nothing to do with “pest control”.

The Red Paper 2022 Volume II: Wild Cats, Feral and New Native Species

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In 1896 Scottish naturalists and zoologists declared that the true Scottish wild cat had become extinct by the 1860s. What we see today is nothing more than a wild tabby cat. In this work the true history and destruction of wild cats from England, Wales (where hybrids clung on into the 1940s) and Scotland is explored and after decades of research the true look of the wild cat is revealed. The "English Tiger" and "Highland Tiger" truly lived up to that name.

Dogma is finally thrown out.

There is also a look at the "New Native Cats" ranging from Asian Golden Cats, Lynx, Puma and others and the evidence leading to their being so designated.

No silly press or media stories just solid facts backed up by evidence.

The author acted as an exotic species wildlife consultant to UK police forces from 1977-2015 as well as cooperated with university projects on the subject.

Island cats as well as feral cats their lifestyles and problems mare also covered .

Fully referenced and including maps, illustrations and very rare photographs -some never before seen in print- make this a book for amateur naturalists and zoologists.