Were Foxes Poisoned?

 

This was posted to The Greenwich Wildlife Network:

Fox Guardians

WARNING to wildlife lovers and pet parents in Broadstairs! There is been a string of fox poisonings in the Stone Bay area (Eastern Esplanade, town centre end). So far 7 (!) cubs and 1 vixen have been found dead in the garden of a fox lover in quick succession.

The cases which constitute a wildlife crime have been reported to the wildlife officer at Kent police.

If one of your fox friends arrives and is struggling to breathe and seems wobbly, get them to a vet as soon as possible. Briar House Vets have been informed about the poisonings and Kent Wildlife Rescue Service could help getting the fox rescued.

If you find a dead fox in your garden, do not handle the body as the police would only consider collecting it for a postmortem if it was not 'contaminated' by being handled. Poisoned foxes often have a frothy discharge caming from their mouth.

I know this is challenging but do take pictures from various angles and call to police quoting crime reference number #09-1286.

Currently this case is "closed" due to lack of evidence but that could change because someone somewhere may know something.

If you know something, be the voice for foxes and speak up. If we don't show compassion, what is it that defines us?!

The vixen in this picture (not included in this post –TH) is a juvenile called Hazel. She is such a sweet little soul that I had the pleasure to look after over the last 2 weeks. She lives just a few gardens away from where the seven fox cubs that were of the same age as her were cruelly poisoned.

At 5 months old, their lives had only just begun. Their lives were not our to take. I and Hazel's guardian Jill are so very worried for her and her family. Be safe little one!

 

I responded:

Hi.

I have run the British Fox Study since 1976 and headed the onmly UK post mortem study of unusual deaths in foxes. The first question I have to ask is whether there has been a post mortem (in suspected poisoning cases you can get free PMs via the Animal Plant Health Agency) to identify poisonings?

The reason I ask is that when we started our work we had foxes that were found dead and unmarked in feeders gardens, foxes seen staggering, coughing and then collapsing. All were suspected poisonings.

As it turns out all were victims of cars -no broken bones found but all injuries were internal. Some were even found to be down to unsuspected illnesses. It can never be put down to poison until a post mortem as that will involve tests etc.

In case anyone is interested in what our study found I will include a link. https://foxandcanids.blogspot.com/.../bristol-foxes-study... I can be PM'd

I should have pointed out  that the discharge/froth from the mouth could also indicate thoracic damage. The only way you can 100% state poison is after testing.

 I also need to point out that Kent Police are talking complete and utter crap if they did say they would only handle a fox that has not been touch. I could use stronger words. Kent as a county is not known for liking foxes and I suspect the police just cannot be bothered because it was a fox.

A post mortem examines the internal organs and test samples are taken to check for poison and to identify what it was –if a crime or suspected crime the police tend to do nothing if my experience over the last few decades proves anything. If it is a rodenticide then it can become an investigation by the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS). The person recovering the fox, the lab technicians etc all handle the fox and there has NEVER been the line “If touched we can do nothing” –a police Community Service Officer collected two foxes and a cat in a suspected poison case and that was after reportees had moved the animals to keep safe. In that case all turned out to be road casualties.

The knee jerk “It’s poison!” statement once spread, as we found in Bristol, attracts almost hysteria and local journalists love a “juicy story” – “The Bristol Fox Poisoner(s)” was a result of absolutely no evidence but people stating as fact anything they heard. 

At least three vets with different foxes stated “Its poison” –all foxes were found to have internal injuries caused by cars.

182 Dead. Actual Number -Unknown

 

I get used to the comments from morons (I am no longer polite about this) that the more foxes killed on the road the better for gardens, homes and the environment.

I am not joking. I once pointed out to a woman whowrote this that foxes were good for the environment and the best pest controllers for rats and micve that you can have. "I'd sooner have the rats!" was t6he response.

Another person who did everything possible to discourage foxes BECAUSE "I have a garden rat" ignored all the advice and told me "No one asked for your opinion -it's my garden!" About 9 months later she was posting for advice as "my garden is over run with rats".

AQt the moment we have recorded 182 known fox deaths in the City and there is a way of trying to guage from that the actual number that have died -I will upload the document on assessment to files).

Hold on to your seats:

If 182 foxes are counted as road casualties, the true number is likely much higher. Wildlife studies show that reported roadkill usually accounts for only 1/12th to 1/16th of actual casualties. This means the probable actual number of foxes killed is between 2,184\ and 2,912

That is terrifying to even think about with a national fox population that is declining at a steady rate 0thanks to humans. I would like to thyink the number is lower at 300+ which is still far too high but when drivers go speeding during the day and night and kill pets and don't stop or report and even hit people....at night it is free reign!