Giant Fox caught in Kent

Knine

I seen this article yesterday, look at the size of the fox. I know its the Daily Mail but still hes some size.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343464/Biggest-Ever-fox-caught-Britain-4ft-cat-killer-trapped-vet.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

A shame they felt they had to shoot him.

Tallon

You think the last thing on a vets mind would be to not kill it?

EGAR

Of course they had to kill him, so now they can say: "We killed the giant fox before he knocked on your door and went for your baby and your cats!"

Seriously, what a scaremongering - I am sick of it. Urban foxes have been around for as long as there was such a thing as *urban*.

Hannibal

its a pretty big fox, an article I read yesterday said it was the size of a dingo or coyote

EGAR

Dotsey wrote: »

its a pretty big fox, an article I read yesterday said it was the size of a dingo or coyote

And next week the papers will write that it was as big as a Great Dane.

FYA:

Coyote: 7-19 kg

Dingo: 14-25kg

In comparison the fox caught was said to be 26.5lbs which converts to 12kg.

My Cocker Spaniel weighs in at 15kg and she aint fat .

Discodog

I have lodged a formal complaint with the RCVS. The Vet swore the following oath when he qualified :

"I PROMISE ABOVE ALL that I will pursue the work of my profession with uprightness of conduct & that my constant endeavour will be to ensure the welfare of animals committed to my care"

The fox was trapped before he shot it so there was no need to shoot it. At least one organisation that rescues & conducts research on foxes is furious. He even claims to welcome wildlife patients on his website.

As well as the "ethics" of shooting it he has fanned the flames. Now people will fear giant foxes climbing into their houses.

I believe that there is no evidence that this is the fox that killed a cat.

Even worse is the way that it has been photographed as a trophy.
How sick is this:

Shanao

"Presenter Charlie Jacoby said: ‘If it took a cat, who’s to say it wasn’t on the path to taking a child?"

Had to laugh at this. Seriously, the ignorance of some people. As if a fox, no matter how desperate, would be stupid enough to try and snatch up a child. Looks like there'll be a new red riding hood story out soon starring a fox instead.

ppink

It is amazing how they just trap and kill without a thought. if he was that worried about his 19yr old cat then why was it not inside by the fire.

But in fairness this really made me laugh:

Presenter Charlie Jacoby said: ‘If it took a cat, who’s to say it wasn’t on the path to taking a child?

‘If I lived in the suburbs with children, I would think twice about leaving the baby out in the pram on a warm summer night knowing outsize foxes are out there


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343464/Biggest-Ever-fox-caught-Britain-4ft-cat-killer-trapped-vet.html#ixzz1A03CTuqN


Are there people on this planet that leave their kids outside in their prams at night?
The second fox they are comparing the "monster" to is a very small one too, going on the ones I see around here anyway!

RMD

Shanao wrote: »

"Presenter Charlie Jacoby said: ‘If it took a cat, who’s to say it wasn’t on the path to taking a child?"

Had to laugh at this. Seriously, the ignorance of some people. As if a fox, no matter how desperate, would be stupid enough to try and snatch up a child. Looks like there'll be a new red riding hood story out soon starring a fox instead.

Read the article, there was 2 9 month old children scarred by a normal sized fox last year. Now imagine if that fox was twice the size, it could have potentially done a lot of damage to the children. Obviously it's an extremely rare case and the Dailymail is blowing this completely out of proportion to scaremonger as usual, but I wouldn't completely write off the chance of it happening.

Shanao

RMD wrote: »

Read the article, there was 2 9 month old children scarred by a normal sized fox last year. Now imagine if that fox was twice the size, it could have potentially done a lot of damage to the children. Obviously it's an extremely rare case and the Dailymail is blowing this completely out of proportion to scaremonger as usual, but I wouldn't completely write off the chance of it happening.

Supposedly mauled by a fox. Supposedly being the main word there, there was no proof that it was a fox.

Discodog

Shanao wrote: »

Supposedly mauled by a fox. Supposedly being the main word there, there was no proof that it was a fox.

Still isn't . The whole story is still as baffling as when it was originally aired but our wonderful Vet is going to get the whole debate going again.

Owen

Cat Killer? Seriously? Daily Fail Newspaper is at it again. And that picture is disgusting.

Discodog

The Vet is even being castigated on a UK Police forum !

Looks like it has backfired big time. Yesterday the website of Eden Vets of Cupar Fife Scotland had a big photo of him & a biography including his love of falconry. Now he has disappeared & there is no mention of him on the site.

doctor evil

I saw this on the news on the telly so I ignored the daily rag link.

Would everyone in this thread get into the same flutter about a mousetrap or chemicals to kill a wasps nest?

It is unusual for them to get to this size, perhaps it had something wrong with it like a growth on the pituitary gland. People do have a right to defend and protect their stock, in the news segment the fox had been killing hens. A confident fox won't just stick to hunting during the night.

Tallon

Would you bring a wasp to a vet because it's leg was broke?

Discodog

Doctor Evil you are missing the point. Foxes get shot every day but not by Vets !. The even more amazing part is that the idiot went for all this publicity. He has not only bought the profession into disrepute but also his own Vet practice where they advertise as being willing to take wildlife patients. No wonder he has disappeared from the practice website. They are going to be inundated by press & angry wildlife lovers. Heaven knows how he will be able to keep working.

Maybe people here just don't realise how much support there is in the UK for foxes. When I was doing wildlife rescue people were amazing in the way that they would help a fox. I was often asked where an injured fox would be treated. The next day I would find out the public had been in to the vet or rescue & made a donation for it's care.

Ten of thousands in the UK feed foxes. Whether one agrees with it or not it shows the public affection for them.

ButtercupTheCow

The vet himself posed for a photo.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3327835/Huge-fox-weighing-nearly-27lbs-killed-after-seemingly-eating-family-cat.html

doctor evil

Discodog wrote: »

Doctor Evil you are missing the point. Foxes get shot every day but not by Vets !.

Vets put down animals every day, either by lethal injection or with larger animals the humane killer (captive bolt) or the bullet. The method does not matter as long as it is reliable and humane to the animal at that time.

Tallon

But it wasn't, thats the point

Chris_Heilong

Its sick when you see the picture with the kid, their culture is partly to blame. I often hear some guys in work calling Irish foxes vermin and such but this seems like the same kind of attitude that has cause wolves to be hunted to extinction here and in the UK, different times but same outdated attitude.

Sigma Force

Ridiculous that they had to kill the poor animal, there was bound to be somewhere the fox could of been brought to and released there are many parks and protected areas in the UK it might of taken a bit of time but I can't see why the fox couldn't of been released elsewhere but of course people panic shame on that vet would hate to be his client probably trigger happy.
My opinion anyhoo.

ISDW

They leave a 19 year old cat sleeping outside in the weather that we've been having? Of course it is possible that the cat died of natural causes and that the fox found it and got himself a nice meal.

I do find the photo very disturbing.

seamus

ISDW wrote: »

They leave a 19 year old cat sleeping outside in the weather that we've been having? Of course it is possible that the cat died of natural causes and that the fox found it and got himself a nice meal.

I would also have said that it's much more likely that a local dog got the jump on a very old cat sleeping outside.

In any case, there's no sense in killing a fox because it attacked a cat. It's nature for feck's sake.

Tallon

It's the sensless killin that has me uneasy like Seamus said

Yakult

So let me get this right,

They trapped a giant fox, biggest found and then they shot it?
For what reason, as a trophy? to get money for selling he's story to the paper?

Would have been a much warmer story if they had taken pictures of it alive and then released it.

Love the pictures of its hanging on the ladder with the kid/vet posing in it. very nice. :rolleyes:

Discodog

ISDW wrote: »

I do find the photo very disturbing.

I think the kid might when it goes to school. Who would be stupid enough to get a kid to pose like that ?.

Dusty87

Discodog wrote: »

I have lodged a formal complaint with the RCVS. The Vet swore the following oath when he qualified :

"I PROMISE ABOVE ALL that I will pursue the work of my profession with uprightness of conduct & that my constant endeavour will be to ensure the welfare of animals committed to my care"

The fox was trapped before he shot it so there was no need to shoot it. At least one organisation that rescues & conducts research on foxes is furious. He even claims to welcome wildlife patients on his website.

As well as the "ethics" of shooting it he has fanned the flames. Now people will fear giant foxes climbing into their houses.

I believe that there is no evidence that this is the fox that killed a cat.

Even worse is the way that it has been photographed as a trophy.
How sick is this:

i admire foxes. Their ability to adapt is amazing. Anyway, on your post, what should the vet have done once it was trapped?? Release it elsewhere? Surely you know thats illegal in the uk?? Put it in a sanctuary? Surely not fair for an animal so big and WILD! Stil an gorgeous animal, is it a rare gene or can his offspring be as big?

noodler

seamus wrote: »

I would also have said that it's much more likely that a local dog got the jump on a very old cat sleeping outside.

I haved never seen a dog catch a cat before.

seamus wrote: »

In any case, there's no sense in killing a fox because it attacked a cat. It's nature for feck's sake.

I would kill any animal that killed my Cat. My being the key word I guess.

Regarding that story about the baby attack, are we disputing it was a fox because the parents could only say it was a flurry of brown etc? I mean, would there really be another alternative given the circumstances?

The way I look at it, sadly I admit, is that that fox either did attack the baby in which case kill it. Or, one haalf its size did and in which case imagine what the big one could do so kill it.

I would be extremely anti-fox hunting etc but I am not sure a fox should be that size.

Dusty87

R_H_C_P wrote: »

So let me get this right,

They trapped a giant fox, biggest found and then they shot it?
For what reason, as a trophy? to get money for selling he's story to the paper?

Would have been a much warmer story if they had taken pictures of it alive and then released it.

Love the pictures of its hanging on the ladder with the kid/vet posing in it. very nice. :rolleyes:

warmer for who? You? Not the vet, or his family, as he would have been commiting an offence. Just to let ya know, i would have loved to see this fella, in a zoo or somethin. But that would not be fair on that fox.

seamus

noodler wrote: »

I haved never seen a dog catch a cat before.

Does that mean it doesn't happen?
My dog has caught a cat by surprise before. Headbutted it in the panic to sniff it and the cat legged it. Some dogs aren't so much curious as murderous when it comes to cats. They do catch them, and they may kill them.

I would kill any animal that killed my Cat. My being the key word I guess.

I understand that and I can imagine any owner would be eager for revenge, despite how illogical it is.

But the fox was trapped and shot by a local vet who had little or no investment in the cat.

The way I look at it, sadly I admit, is that that fox either did attack the baby in which case kill it.

Why? Punishment? Revenge? I just don't get the "animal attacking humans deserves death" rationale. At all.

noodler

seamus wrote: »

Does that mean it doesn't happen?

Absolutely not. I have a cat and a new dog who is huge - they are still sketchy of each other and we let them get close but it is hard to say if the Dog is just curious or murderous.

seamus wrote: »

But the fox was trapped and shot by a local vet who had little or no investment in the cat.
Why? Punishment? Revenge? I just don't get the "animal attacking humans deserves death" rationale. At all.

Really? It seems entirely logical to me to put down any animal who attacks a human (bar baiting it etc obviously). Don't they put down any dog which attacks/bites a human for fear of the taste of human flesh?

Anyway, I know we have no proof that this fox attacked anybody but its sheer size and hunting ability would worry me - irrationally perhaps.