Foxes (or something else) in the garden

zagmund

At least I think they're foxes. I haven't seen them yet, but I know there's something out there . . .

We moved to a house (urban/coastal) in Dublin a few months ago and since then there's been random smallish, droppings around the garden. Around the size of a small dogs ones. I haven't seen any animals in the garden. I'm pretty sure it's not the neighbours dogs as there is a side lane and two pretty high walls between us and them. The previous owner mentioned fox poo at some point and at the time I thought they were just joking . . .

In our old house in a nearby area (near UCD) I was used to seeing foxes tipping along the road under the streetlights half a dozen or more times a year but I haven't seen any here.

Today when out exploring the back garden (it's a bit overgrown) I noticed that over the side wall at the very end there is a hole dug (big enough for an adult to scramble through just about) under the foundations of a part of next doors wall. The area is sloping and it leads off into an area that was previously a storage room but is no longer in use. This all sounds very Famous 5 as I write it . . . but what I'm getting to is that from the flattened vegetation and the hole dug it looks like a family of somethings are living there and coming out at night to make a mess of my back garden.

Does anyone have any ideas what they might be ? Are they likely to be foxes, or could it be something else ?

Thanks,

z

Dusty87

Iv seen foxes living under a timber shed in a garden before but i would say that is rare enough. Would you invest in a trail cam?? Might be interesting to catch videos and pics if they are going to rear cubs later on. They wont do ya any harm anyways. Do the poohs twist at the end?

homerhop

Have you checked for paw prints? Also if it is a fox you will notice a very strong smell there. Check where they are coming in and out from under the fence and see can you find any strands of hair stuck to the fence. If you get a piece of a thorn bush and stick each end into the ground across the hole it will catch bits of hair.

zagmund

Good point on the paw prints. I will spread some soil around the area and see if anything shows up. The area itself is a good bit below the level of my garden so I can't get into it easily, but I did notice that the vegetation just over my wall was flattened, so it looks like they come that way regularly.

z

Connacht

post some pics of the poo please and place an object beside for size.

zagmund

Hmm, interesting all the thanks on the request for the photos of the poo. This is a legit, straight up nature forum, right . . .

I'll keep an eye out in the garden and take a photo next time I see some.

z

zagmund

I'll be working from home on Thursday (i.e. it will be bright when I'm at home) so I'll try to take some photos then.

z

googsy

there will be a strong smell of fox urine ( no joke ) if it is one..

zagmund

At last, a photo. There's the remains of one or two of these around the garden - they are all the same sort of grey.

That's an AAA battery beside it for scale. This one was left right outside our patio door, so unless the cat has lost all semblance of propriety it's not her.

z

Ditch

Zagmund; That looks about right for fox, to me. See how much hair there is in it, look? Obvious even from the photo. Break it up and I expect ye'll find rodent bones too.

Without being able to examine it, and the site, myself though? That's just my suspicion. Let's see what others think. Put it to a majority vote sort of thing.