An Update

 Yes, this is another Bristol focussed post, however, what happens in Bristol is probably happening in towns and cities around the UK and the British Fox Study set up the Fox Deaths Project in the hope that it may educate and inform rescues and others interested in foxes. 

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Something that I need to point out that never makes me popular with conspiracy people and some fox groups.

I pushed for the fox post mortems in Bristol as there was a lot of near hysterical internet screaming every time a dead fox was reported. It was always without fail "poisoned" and the language got rude about said poisoner.

There were no "ifs", "buts" or "maybe" -it was a mass fox poisoner and the foxes were being killed as a warning to dox feeders. After all foxes were being dumped on pavements in pairs and on public walls. I always pointed out that it was not poisoning until that was tested for and the response was that these were perfectly healthy foxes with not a mark on them. That meant poisoning.

My two concerns were simple.

1. prove or disprove deliberate (illegal) poisoning of foxes.

2. look for the possibility of disease.

There were tell-tale signs with dead foxes such as the tails being in an odd position -this is because most people will move dead animals by the tail and not carry the body. This was a clue as to what was happening.; people were moving dead foxes (and badgers) out of the roads were a car killed them rather than let them be run over repeatedly. It was nice of them to stop and do this but raised a few scares!

Foxes looking as though they were in perfect condition when they died was a puzzle -as were some of the symptoms described. We found out pretty early on that this was due to the fact that injuries were all internal and were only found during post mortem.

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To date we have evidence of only one case of secondary poisoning. Basically, if you find a huge quantity of poison in a fox it is a sign that the poisoning was deliberate. However, tests will show whether poison was ingested over a period of time -a fox eating a poisoned rat then another a few days later until it builds up gradually.

To date that is it. There is no mass fox poisoner or, and I studied this on maps, a group of poisoners. Dead foxes were placed on walls so that the Council street clean team can see them easily when called out.

I am sorry to say that humans and cars are the biggest killer of foxes. But even foxes killed by cars told us a lot -pneumonia amongst foxes is far from rare and there are other underlying health problems. Lung worm for one or even heart worm (the "silent killer") and worms are a big problem with Bristol foxes.

Disease was my main concern and although we have found babesia so far we have had no cases of adenovirus which is, according to some rescues that need to get updated, "rampant in the UK fox population" and we have seen no evidence of that.

The pathologist could have had an easy life and just said "RTA" (road traffic accident) and that was him covered. In fact he is far more thorough than I could have expected and he checks everything he can until he finds answers. I doubt the Project could have found a better man.

Oh, and just to publicly acknowledge that the Project would never have worked had it not been for the work of wildlife rescuer Zoe Webber who drives around to check any dead foxes that might be suitable for study (I don't drive so carting dead foxes in a bag on the bus might not be appreciated by passengers!).

AIV was a concern and all dead foxes have to be swabbed to check for that before PMs. So far it has not developed (fingers crossed) and the stories of farmers throwing AIV infected birds to foxes I can get no source on the record over -just another story made up for the press?

Others are interested in the work but as always -there is no money in wildlife work (unless you are a celebrity) so we do what we can and hopefully what we find out in the end will help rescues, vets interested in wildlife and others to understand a lot about how foxes die, present mystery symptoms before dying and may -I hope- help the foxes themselves.

An added thank you to Sarah Mills for the work she is doing in Bristol with sick and injured foxes.

It all makes a difference.