Fox Being Treated...call in another rescue that will kill it? UPDATE

 

Just a note for the public record.

Sarah Mills, the Bristol wildlife rescuer, was called by a lady she has helped with foxes before.   The woman wanted a fox trapped as "it has a broken leg". The video clip which I have watched several times shows no broken leg -in fact when the fox was getting under a car it used all four legs. The fox does have mange which Mills has started treating.

The woman refused to accept anything other than trapping the fox and stated she would get a trap herself. She couldn't find one (presumably cheap enough).

The law regarding interfering with wildlife rescuers treating wild animals was explained to her and the regulations on this sent to her.  Again, her attitude was that none of that matterede and that the fox needed trapping.

It does not.

Today the woman informed us that she has contacted a certain 'rescue' who say they will travel to Bristol and set up a trap. It is a big area, not in a garden.  Regarding setting traps:

"Wildlife rescuers must check traps at least once every 24 hours, with some sources recommending checks every few hours to prevent stress and injury to the trapped animal. The specific frequency can vary by location, but a daily check is a common legal and ethical requirement to provide humane care for the animal. Some regulations also specify even more frequent checks for traps submerged in water. "

Travelling back and forth twice a day? Unlikely. Every day? Unlikely. The woman will not be monitoring the trap as she appears to not be that interested in being active on the matter. So a trap will be set in an open space where any cat or other animal can enter it and be trapped. If the fox in question is trapped that rescue has a policy of killing foxes with mange and they would also breaching professional ethics by trapping and removing a fox already being treated in conjunction with veterinary advice.

The woman herself will be black listed from receiving any future help and the other rescue had better be right on the ball as the area is monitored.

update

Apparently the regulations concerning members of the public interfering with wildlife being treated by rescuers also applies to other rescues. In the current case the site is being monitored as it is public land and no one can monitor a trap twice a day let alone each day so any animal can be trapped.

These traps, if we come across them will be deactivated and if continuously reset will be confiscated. We will not tolerate these people constantly sneaking around because they know we are involved but refusing to help members of the public reporting seriously injured wildlife.

The rescue involved KNOWS the fox is being treated so if they interfere and it was caught and killed simply for having mange the matter will be publicised and reported as well as a complaint to the Charity Commission.