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9 month old twins attacked by fox

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    #92
    Forest Master
    Registered Users Posts: 1,466 ✭✭✭Forest Master


    Stetson Putrid Sailor wrote: »
    The fact that a fox went into their house, up the stairs and mauled their two offspring, is pretty fcuking unlucky. Don't you think?

    Statistically & logically, leaving their door opened increased the chances of this happening to them ahead of anyone else.
    So while it's still unlucky that it happened, it's not just 100% 'unlucky' - some of it is opportunity that they created themselves by leaving the front door wide open. The fact that it was a fox is somewhat unlucky - but it could also easily have been a burglar or kidnapper. They left the opportunity there for 'something' to happen. Without that opportunity, it wouldn't have been possible for the fox to enter the house.


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    #93
    m5ex9oqjawdg2i
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,221 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    Forest Master wrote: »
    Statistically & logically, leaving their door opened increased the chances of this happening to them ahead of anyone else.
    So while it's still unlucky that it happened, it's not just 100% 'unlucky' - some of it is opportunity that they created themselves by leaving the front door wide open. The fact that it was a fox is somewhat unlucky - but it could also easily have been a burglar or kidnapper. They left the opportunity there for 'something' to happen. Without that opportunity, it wouldn't have been possible for the fox to enter the house.


    What do you suggest people do in future? Never leave a window or door open?

    This is a very very unlucky thing to happen. Regardless of what you may think. Take into account the amount of similar occurances, and yes, this is exceptionally unlucky.


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    #94
    Hannibal Smith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,893 ✭✭✭Hannibal Smith


    Stetson Putrid Sailor wrote: »
    You seen a fox up close? That makes you an expert on the subject? Ever see a foxes perly whites? Daunting to say the least. How can you guarantee what an animal will or will not do, especially an animal you know nothing about?

    They won't put themselves into a situation where they can be cornered? You mean they would never go into an enclosed pheasant or chicken pen? They don't live in a den (a hole in the ground)?



    Child abuse? How? Quite possible that it was a dog, but I wonder why they chose to place the blame on such an unlikely animal? No way it was a fox? How so?



    So, beacuse it has not happened before, it will never happen? WTF is that logic?

    It's quite plausable.



    Fox hairs, smell etc etc. Quite different to that of a dog.

    Lots of people have doubts about it, that's fair enough, but at least base your doubts of some sort of facts, and don't make crap up.

    Anybody even know anything about foxes? Highly doubt it. You will find that foxes live quite close to humans, and they are not as timid as you may think. Those that live in the countryside are different.

    Think of a pigeon in Dublin city, and a pigeon in the country.

    are you the fox? :eek: :D

    Yes foxes are all over cities, you only have to see some of the roads in the morning with their remains splattered all over them :D But I don't think you have to be an expert on foxes to offer a thought on the matter, nor would I think it was 'making crap up'.

    It does sound very dodgy. Maybe it is true, but the reason it has made headlines is because it's a very irregular occurence and it's definitely the first time I've heard of it. Maybe if the fox was starving and was desperate for food it would seem plausible but i can't imagine a fox doing something like that.


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    #95
    Standard Toaster
    Registered Users Posts: 10,257 ✭✭✭✭Standard Toaster


    Why do they kill the animal? It was just doing what comes natural to it. It's a wild animal.


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    #96
    Hank Scorpio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,631 ✭✭✭✭Hank Scorpio


    Standard Toaster wrote: »
    Why do they kill the animal? It was just doing what comes natural to it. It's a wild animal.

    To stop it happening again? Theres no animal prison


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    #97
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    Amalgam wrote: »
    We have a few near us. A high pitched whistle will cause a very nosey head to appear from behind a wall soon after.

    Great timekeepers too, you could set your watch to a fox. One comes to visit us at 9.50pm on the dot.

    They are indeed, I remove problem foxes from sheep farms. Got the one doing the damage and watched another coming across the hill at 7.30pm (this was ages ago). I didn't go back for six weeks, but guess who was coming across the hill at 7.30 again :D

    A lot of the calls used to bring foxes in don't sound dissimilar to a babys cry. A lot of them make aWah! aWah! aWah! type noises. I would be interested to know if one of the twins was actually crying before the fox go in.


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    #98
    stupidusername
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,762 ✭✭✭✭stupidusername


    silverharp wrote: »
    and your an expert on fox behaviour how? ring up one of country cousins if you have and ask them what happens if a fox gets into a hen house. The last thing a fox will do is select the tastiest hen and head off into the night

    What did I say to make out I was some kind of expert? I'm not, and don't think I said anything to imply that. I was giving my opinion. Is that allowed?


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    #99
    Forest Master
    Registered Users Posts: 1,466 ✭✭✭Forest Master


    nuxxx wrote: »
    To stop it happening again? Theres no animal prison

    Or maybe they could just, y'know, close their front door while living in an area "known" to have lots of foxes. An animal shouldn't have to die for doing what it does naturally - it's disgusting to blame or kill any foxes because of this.
    This is a very very unlucky thing to happen. Regardless of what you may think. Take into account the amount of similar occurances, and yes, this is exceptionally unlucky.
    They admitted that there are a lot of foxes around the locality, and they had even complained to the council about it before - so how much of it is "unlucky" if a) you live in an area with lots of foxes, and b) you leave your door open all night?

    I'm not saying it's not unlucky it happened - I'm saying it's only partially unlucky. They didn't exactly make it hard for the fox to get it & snoop around. They created the opportunity for it to happen.
    If I live in an area with a lot of lions, do I allow my pet gnu to wander around all night in my unfenced garden? And if he gets eaten, is it a case of "wow - that was so unlucky!", or partial negligence, since it's an area known to have lions?


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    #100
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Standard Toaster wrote: »
    Was the fox destroyed?

    Ugly as sin, apparently.


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    #101
    Truley
    Registered Users Posts: 1,628 ✭✭✭Truley


    Standard Toaster wrote: »
    Why do they kill the animal? It was just doing what comes natural to it. It's a wild animal.

    It's not natural for a fox to go after a human being. A fox would never try to go after something so much bigger than themselves, it would be a suicide mission. They're not stupid. Even for something like a hen they wouldn't do it unless they were absolutely starving and as a last resort.


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    #102
    It wasn't me!
    Registered Users Posts: 13,034 ✭✭✭✭It wasn't me!


    Truley wrote: »
    It's not natural for a fox to go after a human being. A fox would never try to go after something so much bigger than themselves, it would be a suicide mission. They're not stupid. Even for something like a hen they wouldn't do it unless they were absolutely starving and as a last resort.

    That's not true at all. Poorly fenced in chickens are easy pickings for a fox; it's like a free buffet. It's not starving foxes killing fowl as a last resort.


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    #103
    m5ex9oqjawdg2i
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,221 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    Truley wrote: »
    It's not natural for a fox to go after a human being. A fox would never try to go after something so much bigger than themselves, it would be a suicide mission. They're not stupid. Even for something like a hen they wouldn't do it unless they were absolutely starving and as a last resort.

    Any links of proof for this or is it just more speculating???


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    #104
    thebillynator
    Registered Users Posts: 855 ✭✭✭thebillynator


    maybe they should get some guard-chickens
    :D


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    #105
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    Just heard on the radio there that foxes eat baby poo. It seems people aren't putting the nappys in the bin and instead sometimes leaving the nappies on top (why I don't know) of the bin and nappy contents have become a regular part of the foxes diet.


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    #106
    Truley
    Registered Users Posts: 1,628 ✭✭✭Truley


    Stetson Putrid Sailor wrote: »
    Any links of proof for this or is it just more speculating???

    My mother keeps chickens in her back yard with very little fencing and she has seen cases where a fox has tried to get at them and gotten a pretty ferocious beating for his efforts. Foxes diet primarily consists of grass, berries etc with small meets such as slugs, insects, mice etc It's not unknown for them to go after chickens but it's not really in their own best interest to do so, a chicken is nearly as big as them and fights back ferociously. I'm going by my own experience of foxes, no need to be so aggressive.


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    #107
    m5ex9oqjawdg2i
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,221 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    ScumLord wrote: »
    Just heard on the radio there that foxes eat baby poo. It seems people aren't putting the nappys in the bin and instead sometimes leaving the nappies on top (why I don't know) of the bin and nappy contents have become a regular part of the foxes diet.

    It would contain a lot of nutrients believe it or not as the baby cannot digest most of it. mmmm... baby poo...


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    #108
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    Truley wrote: »
    My mother keeps chickens in her back yard with very little fencing and she has seen cases where a fox has tried to get at them and gotten a pretty ferocious beating for his efforts. Foxes diet primarily consists of grass, berries etc with small meets such as slugs, insects, mice etc It's not unknown for them to go after chickens but it's not really in their own best interest to do so, a chicken is nearly as big as them and fights back ferociously. I'm going by my own experience of foxes, no need to be so aggressive.

    I would like if you would take what I'm about to say as constructive, as that's the spirit in which it's meant :)

    Foxes aren't like cows or sheep, they won't really eat grass. It has been found in stomach contents but I suggest it's an oddity such as dogs eating grass.

    They will eat most insects - ants, grasshoppers, caterpillars, slugs, beetles, worms, maggots, larvae, etc.

    They eat a lot of voles, mice, rats, ground nesting birds, game birds, wildfowl, domestic hens, domestic geese, rabbits, young hares, lambs, domestic cats and a whole host of carrion from lambs right through to large animals such as cattle and deer.

    - They have no hesitation in killing hens or geese. The fox is an effective hunter, but will often kill much more prey than needed if it get's in amongst fowl, domestic or game reared.

    They will eat blackberries and apples in season.

    One particular fox I sent for examination had calf nuts in it's stomach, just to show the variety. Lichen, plastic and some other bits and bobs were found in other stomachs. The full list is in my profile somewhere.

    In the seashore they'll eat plenty of crabs, and anything else they can scavenge.

    I found the baby poo diet interesting. A lot of dogs will eat the poo of young lambs as their diet would be 100% milk at that stage, so I would suggest a smiliar link with baby poo and foxes.


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    #109
    Calibos
    Registered Users Posts: 7,806 ✭✭✭Calibos


    Stetson Putrid Sailor wrote: »
    It would contain a lot of nutrients believe it or not as the baby cannot digest most of it. mmmm... baby poo...

    So this is an actual example of "Eat Da Poo Poo" !! Feckin' dirty GaysFoxes!

    :D


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    #110
    m5ex9oqjawdg2i
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,221 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    Truley wrote: »
    My mother keeps chickens in her back yard with very little fencing and she has seen cases where a fox has tried to get at them and gotten a pretty ferocious beating for his efforts. Foxes diet primarily consists of grass, berries etc with small meets such as slugs, insects, mice etc It's not unknown for them to go after chickens but it's not really in their own best interest to do so, a chicken is nearly as big as them and fights back ferociously. I'm going by my own experience of foxes, no need to be so aggressive.

    Sweet jesus fcuking christ...

    Their diet primarily consists of grass and berries? Man, you really need to read up on this animal seriously.

    Chicken is nearly as big as a fox???

    I've heard it all now. Oh and agression? Where?
    Calibos wrote: »
    So this is an actual example of "Eat Da Poo Poo" !! Feckin' dirty GaysFoxes!

    :D

    I was thinking of that too :P "EAT DA POO POO" is a legend :P


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    #111
    Jimmy Garlic
    Registered Users Posts: 4,349 ✭✭✭Jimmy Garlic


    Stetson Putrid Sailor wrote: »
    Sweet jesus fcuking christ...

    Their diet primarily consists of grass and berries? Man, you really need to read up on this animal seriously.

    Much the same as ourselves foxes are omnivorous, they do eat grass, berries etc. They don't primarily eat grass, berries etc but that kind of stuff is an important part of their diet.


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    #112
    m5ex9oqjawdg2i
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,221 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    Jimmy Garlic wrote: »
    Much the same as ourselves foxes are omnivorous, they do eat grass, berries etc. They don't primarily eat grass, berries etc but that kind of stuff is an important part of their diet.

    Never stated otherwise. Claiming their diet is primarily made up of grass and berries is crazy.


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    #113
    Truley
    Registered Users Posts: 1,628 ✭✭✭Truley


    Stetson Putrid Sailor wrote: »
    Never stated otherwise. Claiming their diet is primarily made up of grass and berries is crazy.

    You can't say a fox primarily eats anything as they are scavengers and hence their diet varies depending on location, season, food supply. I still stand by my belief that they don't go after humans but will be happy to be proved wrong if forensic evidence can prove otherwise.


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    #114
    Zombienosh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,911 ✭✭✭Zombienosh


    When I heard this story I instantly thought of the dingos ate my baby story.


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    #115
    m5ex9oqjawdg2i
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,221 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    Truley wrote: »
    You can't say a fox primarily eats anything as they are scavengers and hence their diet varies depending on location, season, food supply. I still stand by my belief that they don't go after humans but will be happy to be proved wrong if forensic evidence can prove otherwise.

    :rolleyes:

    Nobody claims they "go after humans"...

    Of course they can have a primary food source, regardless of what you may think, that primary food source is meat, be it insects, rabbits or other.

    You are open to forensic evidence, but do you really think a forensic team will be dispatched to study this site? Why is the word of the parents not good enough? You are wrong, you have been proved wrong already, but you still continue... pfft.


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    #116
    franklyshocked
    Registered Users Posts: 444 ✭✭franklyshocked


    "allegedly" attacked is the key here. Even the cops have doubts
    I'm just the most sceptical person in the world.
    I lived most of my early life in the country and this just doesn't sound like anything a fox would do. Sure foxes will attack a hen house but going into a house where people live. Doesn't ring true to me.
    Then again, dingo's actually did kill that womans baby.....


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    #117
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    Stetson Putrid Sailor wrote: »
    :rolleyes:

    Nobody claims they "go after humans"...

    Of course they can have a primary food source, regardless of what you may think, that primary food source is meat, be it insects, rabbits or other.
    I don't know you could be that specific with city foxes. Their primary food source is our waste, whatever that may be. Every other natural food source is just not worth the effort when they have our waste just lying there. Foxes will eat whatever's available, for a scavenger meat would be a fairly readily available food source in the wild due to animals dying. I'd assume that's the only reason they show preference for meat.


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    #118
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    While I feel sorry for the kids, I've never learned so much about foxes in my life which is pretty cool.


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    #119
    m5ex9oqjawdg2i
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,221 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    franklyshocked wrote: »
    "allegedly" attacked is the key here. Even the cops have doubts
    I'm just the most sceptical person in the world.
    I lived most of my early life in the country and this just doesn't sound like anything a fox would do. Sure foxes will attack a hen house but going into a house where people live. Doesn't ring true to me.
    Then again, dingo's actually did kill that womans baby.....

    Any links?
    ScumLord wrote: »
    I don't know you could be that specific with city foxes. Their primary food source is our waste, whatever that may be. Every other natural food source is just not worth the effort when they have our waste just lying there. Foxes will eat whatever's available, for a scavenger meat would be a fairly readily available food source in the wild due to animals dying. I'd assume that's the only reason they show preference for meat.

    Ah yes, of course, we are the reason why they are in the cities... Plenty of bins are ripped open by foxes and then blamed on cats and dogs ;)


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    #120
    stupidusername
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,762 ✭✭✭✭stupidusername


    I can't believe that they caught a fox (not even proven to be the supposed attacker) and killed it. Unbloodybelievable. Why would ANYONE think this is a solution?????!!!! This is just craziness. This stems from complete ignorance of nature, animals and just everything!


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    #121
    Truley
    Registered Users Posts: 1,628 ✭✭✭Truley


    Stetson Putrid Sailor wrote: »
    :rolleyes:

    Nobody claims they "go after humans"...

    Of course they can have a primary food source, regardless of what you may think, that primary food source is meat, be it insects, rabbits or other.

    You are open to forensic evidence, but do you really think a forensic team will be dispatched to study this site? Why is the word of the parents not good enough? You are wrong, you have been proved wrong already, but you still continue... pfft.

    Two children were seriously injured and disfigured, possibly permanently. The cause of the injuries appear to be a once in a million, extremetly unlikely, freak event. I would imagine the authorities would be very interested in establishing the facts of the case. Firstly to rule out whether it was a cover up for something more, secondly to get a better insight into what this means for the behaviour of foxes, what they are capable of doing. Like I said there has never been a proven case of a fox attacking a human, it's an interesting case.


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