I Cannot Do This On A National Level -But You Can Help

 I get 2-3 reports each week of foxes killed on roads. Many suffer internal injuries so show no external signs of RTA (hit by a car).

We have had foxes killed in twos or threes and the truth is that foxes are small and idiots speed in cars and the national number of foxes killed yearly on the road is staggering (as it is for badgers).

I DO NOT have funding and post mortems are expensive. It took months of stressful arguing to get PMs carried out officially and "poisoned" or "suspected poisoned" foxes turned out to be RTA victims with internal injuries nothing external.

If it had not been for the unexplained jaundice found in two foxes and now another discovery in the latest fox it is probable that we would be back where we were in June. I'm still fightng behind the scenes so it is not all "done and dusted" and I have had to put in place certain criteria in which dead foxes are found, then checked over at the scene and assessed as "a case for us".

One reason why I ask anyone who finds a dead fox to photograph it as found is that this can tell us a lot -whether RTA, placed where they were found or died there. That helps us assess whether "of interest".

If it were up to me every fox reported whether RTA or not would be collected as each could tell us a lot about the health of foxes, any illnesses or disease. However, there is one pathologist for the Bristol area and he has been very dedicated to sorting out certain aspects in cases.

Foxes have to be in a relatively "fresh" condition and in the past we have opened up wrappings foxes were contained in (not opened at the scene to prevent contamination) to find maggot infested carcasses and obviously foxes that had NOT "just been found". Seeing a maggot infested carcasse in a photo shows us that the council street clean team need to remove it. A fox in a bad condition tells us nothing -ofyten noteven the sex of the animal.

I do record RTA fox deaths for personal files and study. Again, the photos are needed -in two cases where photos were taken it was clearly one of the newer grey foxes that died rather than the regular coloured foxes. Sad either way but it helps to see where the grey foxes have spread out to.

We know, from someone who keeps records of the foxes in her area that, in 2016 she and her husband caught a fox that was ill and had a vet look at it and it had hepatitis which is found in some foxes. Thatcase can be added to the record.

Please understand that the the Fox Study in Bristol -I include Emily and Zoe who are more than just body pick up drivers and deserve a big "thank you"- is in a unique situation. This current study of dead foxes is not going on anywhere else in the UK and what we find out may help in wider areas.

I do NOT want the press involved as their attitude is one of pulling in readers with "The Bristol Fox Poisoner" or talk of "Local council cover ups". I have dealt with newspapers, TV and Radio since the 1970s and I know what they are like -that one reported got onto FB groups to track down members who had reported dead foxes to spam them with the same message (copy and paste) he sent me should tell you a lot.

We need to know:

1) Is this a disease? Is it widespread and can it be treated?

2) Is poison involved? Is this accidental poisoning due to rodenticide use by the City Council or a member of the public? and is it possible someone may deliberately be poisoning foxes?

I could write the sensationalist stories myself. Get on TV and radio (which I hate) and spin this out (I would insist on Brad Pitt playing me in the movie based on "true events"). However, that would not help the foxes and that is my main interest -my only interest.

"Dead fox in a garden in Bedminster"...okay so...nothing. the person psting that will not even respond to messages so I am not even putting that in the record as no photo of dead fox means no proof there was a dead fox. There are deliberate time wasters.

I simply CANNOT do this on a national level. I think the Post Mortem Services would block me -the post mortem not to mention all the tests cost a great deal and they have budget restrictions from a government that really cannot be bothered about wildlife anyway. I get irritated people asking what I'm doing about a dead fox in the Midlands...in Yorkshire...I CANNOT do a thing.

Bristol has the second largest urban fox population outside of London and basing everything here is easy.

A fox dies and it looks like it might be poisoning or it is ill and jaundiced and put to sleep in Leeds, London or Cardiff then someone -the finder or even a fox rescue- can do what I do and contact the local PM Services and complete an online "donation" form (giving date, location of fox and -most important;ly- keeping it as chilled as possible as freezing can cause problems in PM examinations. If there is jaundice present then note that Langford Veterinary School (University of Bristol) is looking at jaundice cases. Note that YOU will need to transport any dead fox.

From simple historical research work I have gone to daily advising on sick and injured foxes, foxes with mange -not to mention hedgehogs and various birds. My research work is currently 6 months behind.

Please bear all of this in mind.

Thank You

http://apha.defra.gov.uk/vet-gateway/surveillance/diagnostic/national-network.htm