Are Foxes Proected?
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Fantastic Mr Fox
Foxes are natural scavengers and are becoming an ever-increasing sight in our major towns and cities. Most urban foxes are now beginning not to see us as a threat, but more as a food provider. Leaving rubbish out with left over food in accessible plastic bags will attract most vermin, especially foxes. We recommend keeping such bags in tougher containers or plastic wheelie bins. We also advise ensuring any hutched animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens be kept in secure bordered areas to prevent foxes gaining entry.
Protection Laws
Foxes are protected under a series of wildlife protection laws against poisoning, gassing, asphyxiating, maiming, stabbing, impaling, drowning, clubbing and most forms of snaring, with anyone convicted of carrying out such acts liable to 6 months imprisonment and/or a £5,000 fine per animal. The fox is sometimes referred to as vermin, but it is not, and never has been categorised as such by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
HOWEVER foxes are NOT protected against shooting. A single shot which will cull the animal instantly is the only legal form of eradication. Some pest controllers may charge large fees to cage-trap nuisance foxes which are then set loose miles away. A fox dropped off (known as ‘hard-release) in a strange territory will find itself in competition for food with resident foxes. This puts the animal under undue stress and therefore is almost certainly an offence of cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and is condemned by the government’s DEFRA.
Deterrents
There are a number of different deterrent scents on the market people may wish to try first, with ‘Scoot’ being the favoured choice by many. Some customers we know even put their urine in Jars around the garden in the hope the local foxes will move on. More often than not, these efforts will not make the problem animal go away. A female fox, known as a vixen, will not leave the territory and den if she has cubs no matter what scent is placed down near her. The same goes with large male foxes, known as dogs.
