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Welcome

Welcome everybody to the 2nd edition of Foxwatch News. We have lots of interesting and entertaining stories this issue which we hope you will enjoy. Read about the varying fortunes of foxes in urban and rural territories. Is the fox population stable now or under threat?

I myself particularly enjoyed reading the story submitted by a wildlife watcher in County Clare. I can really relate to her sense of joy when a pair of foxes came up close to her. While foxwatching in Sligo recently, a young fox came within 15 feet of me. It might have come closer but I was tempted to quietly take a photo of him and the flash sent him darting away. Still, as always, it was a thrilling moment to get so near to a wild animal.

Since issue 1, several foxes have been rescued, rehabilitated and released back to the wild by our very own Peter Akokan.

I have had the pleasure of meeting each one of them including the adorable Bill and Ben brothers and the timid and wary Harold.

Unfortunately we are entering a period where we have no fixed location to continue with our fox rescue operations. We hope to rectify this in the not too distant future.

If you do only one thing after reading this newsletter, make it a trip out into the countryside to see foxes in action. It will be well worth the effort. Guaranteed!
Philip

Why foxes shouldn't be kept as pets

Have you ever wondered why such an endearing and beautiful creature like the fox has never been commonly kept as a pet?

The reason is that the fox - despite being from the same canid family as the domestic dog - is simply not cut out to be a human companion. Compared to dogs, foxes are completely different in behaviour and character.

From the moment a fox is born it has strongly inbuilt instincts to be afraid of man and this has been carefully developed through millions of years of evolution.

The fox was prey to man in primitive times and all across Ireland this is, unfortunately, still the case.

It is true that some captive foxes are remarkably tame -sometimes inexplicably so - but even these can suffer great stress if taken out for a walk in the park like a dog.

A cub hand-reared from one-day-old may get imprinted onto a human but will always suffer great stress when around other people. Being in constant fear results in much salivation from the mouth and can cause excessive diarrhea.

All foxes have a completely independent nature and cannot be forced to listen to commands. So, expecting a fox to sit, roll over or fetch a stick just wouldn't work!

Most healthy young foxes are able to fend for themselves independently in the wild by the time they are five or even four months old. These are instincts for a life in the wild, not a life in a house or an enclosure. So why would anyone want to keep a shy creature that runs and hides in the corner every time a human being is around, causing it great stress and discomfort for the rest of its life, not to mention taking away its freedom.

Foxwatch Ireland actively discourages the keeping of foxes as pets. After all, a person wouldn't be expected to live out the rest of his or her life in a burrow, earth or hedgerow so why should a fox be forced to adapt to life in a human environment.

If you do find an orphaned cub, there is certainly nothing wrong with taking the animal in (you will be doing a positive thing for its welfare) but only do so with a view to getting it back to the wild again. Before making any move to rescue a cub, please remember to ensure that it is, in fact, an orphan and not just temporarily separated from its mother. Advice on rehabilitating cubs can be obtained from Foxwatch Ireland.

21st Century Mammal

There may be tough times ahead for many of the world's species but as Dave Wall of UCD's Mammal Research Group reports, the flexible fox is more than prepared for the impending future.

The 20th Century has been marked by the destruction of wildlife habitats worldwide and the extinction of thousands of species.

As we stumble into the next millennium an uncertain future awaits many animals and plants, faced with extinction due to the pressures of human population expansion and industrial activities.

However, not every species has the cloud of doom hanging over its head. Some have managed to survive, while others... well, others have downright thrived.

The red fox is a shining example of this. At first glance, all the odds seem stacked against it. It is a mammal of medium size and is heavily persecuted. Hunted for its fur, it is also chased, shot, poisoned, snared and trapped by the thousand as an "agricultural pest", and chased and hunted for sport.

One of Dublin's urban foxes licks its lips in satisfaction after securing a free meal in Donnybrook.

Despite all this, red fox numbers show no sign of decreasing and the species successfully occupies habitats right across the Northern Hemisphere and Australia.

The adaptive traits which have made the red fox so successful are clearly displayed in the urban fox. Red foxes have occupied our cities and towns for many years now.

In England, where the urban fox phenomenon is most common, there are reports of city-dwelling foxes going back to Victorian times. However, it is only after the post-war housing boom that the urban fox really flourished.

On the other side of the Irish sea, Dublin also has a healthy population of urban foxes. A survey of South Dublin in 1995 showed foxes to be present right across the city and suburbs in densities comparable to those of many British cities.

Although classified as a carnivore, the red fox is truly an opportunistic omnivore. It can utilise whatever food sources are available and alter its diet to avail of whatever food is most abundant at the time.

Dublin's foxes live on a diet consisting largely of invertebrates, which they hoover up from the lawns and flower beds of our parks and gardens. These they supplement with whatever small mammals and birds they can catch, as well as berries and other fruits. Most also have a regular banquet provided for them by some of the city's foxwatchers.

Urban foxes suffer a very high mortality rate and, consequently, the majority of the population in any one year consists of animals in their first or second year. Despite the heavy toll, the reproductive success of the fox is able to match and outstrip the death rate.

Their adaptability has made them one of the 20th Century's mammal success stories and they are well positioned to thrive far into the next millennium....truly a 21st century mammal.

This article was first published in The Badger, No 71, Spring 1999. Our thanks to both the Irish Wildlife Trust and Dave Wall for granting us permission to reproduce it here.

Fox territory size

What determines the size of a fox territory? Dr David McDonald, author of "Running with the Fox" explains it as follows:

"Fundamentally, there are probably two crucial factors: first, the availability of food and second, the costs of defence. Territory size will depend on the balance between these benefits and costs and this balance will obviously vary with circumstances. Territories are expected to be of the minimum size necessary to satisfy the requirements of the occupants, because further enlargement would bring extra costs of defence without net benefits. So, all else being equal, territories can be smaller where food availability is greater.

"Also, all else being equal, defence costs are likely to increase with territory size and to be greater where foxes are abundant, because the territory-holder will be bombarded by more intruders. Therefore, where fox mortality is high, foxes may be able to afford to expand their territories, up to a size beyond which there is no further net advantage in doing so."

Foxes have a right to life: judge

A judge has ordered the forfeiture of a shotgun from a 38-year-old man who smashed a window in a nearby house while trying to shoot a magpie at 3 o'clock in the morning.

Michael Loftus from Lavallyroe, Cloonfad, Co Roscommon, pleaded guilty to the charge of reckless discharge of a firearm in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo on December 3rd last and was also fined £100 by Judge Mary Fahy.

The defendant, who was the member of a gun club, had been out lamping foxes (stunning them with a light before shooting them) when he spotted the magpie and decided to take aim. He accepted it was wrong to do so from a public road near a house and apologised to the owner. Judge Fahy said magpies and foxes were part of the local habitat and entitled to an existence.

The court was also told that Mr Loftus had previous convictions for hoax phone calls, criminal damage and a breach of the Firearms Act. Stating that a firearm was not a suitable possession for somebody with a conviction for criminal damage, Judge Fahy ordered its forfeiture.
The Irish Independent, September 21st, 2000

Second Chance in life

The vixen and her litter of cubs lay curled up in their earth as the farmer approached intent on destroying a family. Armed with a shovel and a shotgun he began his heartless task.

Digging the clay away from the roof of the earth, he exposed the animals and upon seeing the mother fox, took aim and shot her in the head. The frightened cubs froze as he raised his gun again and shot all but two. We don't know why he decided to spare the pair of brother cubs but when he walked away from the scene of carnage, he was carrying the two-day-old animals in his hands.

Fortunately their time with the farmer was to be cut short when he bumped into a neighbour on a country road in Ballynacargy, County Westmeath. He beckoned her over to his car and eager to show off his cubs, reached into the glove compartment and pulled them out into the open.

Sensing that the pitiful pair weren't in the best of hands, she persuaded the farmer to hand them over for her to adopt. Over the next month, their home was to be in her rented accommodation near Mullingar but this too turned out to be a temporary arrangement.

When the building's landlord - a man who made it clear that he did not like foxes - found out about the cubs he demanded their eviction.

Rescued and released: Adorable fox cubs, Bill and Ben.

Still less than two months old, the next stop for the pair of cubs was Roscommon at the then-home of Foxwatch Ireland's Peter Akokan. After such a harsh beginning to their lives, they were now on their way back to the wild again.

When the "dark grey balls of fluff" arrived, they were still young enough to regain their wildness so things were looking good for a successful rehabilitation effort.

"As cubs get older, they generally become much wilder," Peter says. "When Bill and Ben (as they were named) came here to this environment I saw them quickly becoming wild within two weeks."

Their new surroundings in the middle of the countryside proved to be the ideal stepping stone back to the wilderness. For the first few days, they settled in within a straw lined pen in which they spent most of their time sleeping, tunneling and playing with each other. Not long after that they were eagerly ready to explore the garden with its fox-friendly long grass and hedges.

In the bordering meadow, they were given the freedom to go further afield, following Peter's footsteps as he encouraged them to exercise. At 10 weeks old they had total freedom to come and go from the garden as they pleased. Using it as a base, they slowly ventured into new territory. Being predominantly dependent on food left out for them, however, they didn't stray too far.

Their diet initially consisted of tinned dog food but it soon evolved to also include chicken, honey and road kills (dead birds or rabbits which Peter would constantly be on the lookout for while out driving). Stressing that "if you want to rehabilitate them successfully, you can't pamper them," he explained that the offerings were gradually decreased in an effort to get them into the habit of securing their own food supply in the surrounding countryside.

The first cub to return to the wild was Ben who, at 12 weeks of age, had become extremely shy and afraid. It even became difficult to leave food out for him because when he saw it being put in place, he would dash away. This made it hard to keep an eye on his progress because he would only make an appearance when the garden was deserted.

Bill, who had always been the much tamer brother, was not so keen to leave. It took him a while longer to develop wildness but at nine months old, he too had departed.

The cubs' chances of survival are as good as can be expected. Since Ben was very independent and wild, the likelihood of him surviving is very high. Indeed, he was subsequently spotted along a hedgerow demonstrating impressive hunting techniques.

While Bill depended for a long time on a ready supply of food, he did eventually go off hunting on his own and learned the skills needed for survival.

As the months pass, sightings of the two become less frequent. In a land where danger for foxes is ever present, we can only hope that they continue to avoid the type of person who gave them such a violent start in life.
Philip Kiernan

Boom! Boom! Basil's Back

Funny fox, Basil Brush, is set to make a return to TV screens after going to ground nearly 20 years ago.

The much loved character whose famous catchphrase was "boom! boom!" will be launched back into the limelight in a brand new sitcom called Foxed. Episodes of the show are to be showcased later this year in Cannes.

Basil Brush who will make a welcome return to TV screens in new six-part sitcom series.

The six-part series will see Basil being befriended by an American family living in London and if his previous TV offerings are anything to go by, we are in for a real comedic treat.

Basil made his debut in 1963 with the Basil Brush Show and reached great stardom all around the world as the hilariously outspoken fox. The hugely popular show ran for 14 series and drew in audiences of over 13 million.

A guide to foreign foxes

You're on holidays. You fancy a bit of foxwatching. But, hang on, what exactly are you looking for?

It's sionnach in Irish and fox in English but what are foreign foxes called.

Well, don't despair because presented here is an invaluable guide to fox translations.

Now, when you're abroad, approach a local, say the word and let your foxwatching adventures begin!

Spanish:	El Zorro La Zorra (vixen)	German:	Der Fuchs Die Feuchsin (vixen)
French:	le Renard	Danish:	Raev
Dutch:	Vos	Czech:	Lishka
Croatian:	Lisica	Arabic:	Thu'Al
Italian	Volpe	Hebrew:	Shu'Al
Russian:	Lisa	Chinese:	Hu
Japanese:	Kitsune	Hindi:	Memri
Swedish:	Rav	Bengali:	Sheyal
Turkish:	Tilki

City Survivor
Rural relocation for rescued Dublin fox cub

A CUB found wandering along the pavements of a Dublin street has been given a new start in life in the Roscommon countryside.

Six-week-old Harold was rescued by a concerned individual who promptly brought it to the attention of the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

DSPCA worker, Linda, took charge of the young animal and soon afterwards phoned Foxwatch Ireland for advice on looking after the cub. Peter Akokan outlined the best food to give the cub and what inoculations it would need.

"Linda seemed very concerned about the cub," says Peter, "but I told her not to worry for fox cubs are very easy to feed and house while they are still young. The worrying part is how they will get on once they are released back into the wild."

City cub, Harold, given a new home in the country.

"Linda did a great job with the cub," he adds. "She even took the trouble to stop and pick up road kills like young rabbits and birds. The cub got first class treatment and was in a beautiful condition on arrival to me." It remains uncertain how Harold ended up lost on the streets of the capital. One theory is that he may have ventured too far from an earth in an urban back garden. Cubs can normally find their way back home again so perhaps his earth had been destroyed. Another possibility is that someone was keeping him as a pet and he managed to escape.

Harold, now two months old, is currently going through a process known as a soft release. Food is left in his cage with the door left open and he is coming back for food at night until he can hunt for himself. He is doing very well and has no attachment towards humans at all - apart from his returns for food. By mid-winter he should have fully dispersed and hopefully by then will have secured his own territory.

In the meantime, he will have to avoid all the hazards of a life in the wild. Man is, of course, the greatest cause of death. Gun clubs in the shooting season, foxhunts with hounds and the dazzling headlights of an ever increasing volume of traffic on our roads are just some of the dangers which await Harold.

Disease risks have been greatly reduced through inoculation while starvation is unlikely for foxes are usually quick opportunists with an enormous sense of adventure.

They have a highly developed instinct to survive from a very early age which is why rehabilitation isn't normally a problem for foxes.

New York study into fox impacts

A study into the impact foxes have on agriculture is currently being carried out at York University.

Rebecca Moberly's "An economic analysis of foxes in Great Britain" will focus on the true economic impact of foxes and will include details of the major cost and benefit impacts of the species in Britain.

Research will be carried out to ascertain the facts about stock losses to foxes as well as preventative expenditure. Formal economic analyses will be carried out to assess the value of the fox to farmers and gamekeepers. Also to be investigated are the potential outcomes of changes in fox population, agricultural practices and hunting legislation.

Another issue which will be looked at is the effect which shooting of foxes has on the livelihood of sheep farmers.

According to a report in BBC Wildlife Magazine, when a fox is shot, the fox which takes over the territory may be so unfamiliar with the area that it may initially pose a threat to sheep. The suggestion is that if foxes were left alone and not shot, they would get to know their territory and find their natural food sources.

Rebecca Moberly's research is expected to be completed in December 2001.

Vulpine Vicissitudes
The rise and fall of a fox population in Lough Key Country

"They're starving now, there's nothing to eat for them," said the old man I recently met walking down the lane.

"At one time they could steal a hen or pheasant or rabbit but now there are hardly any around the farms and not as many rabbits. At one time you couldn't go out without seeing a fox in a field but now it is a rare event."

While I agreed with his last statement I certainly do not believe that the remaining foxes here are all starving. If they were, they would be extinct in no time. Foxes are still very common but just not as thick on the ground as they used to be in this particular area.

It's true that at one time it was impossible to go out without seeing at least three foxes early in the morning or evening in the Lough Key Forest Park area. I have witnessed this myself when I first started foxwatching here ten years ago.

Lough Key foxes are running into trouble due to man's interference with nature.

I remember one particular June evening some years ago more than any other. I had been trying to observe some well grown fox cubs at about 8 o'clock which were lying up in very long grass in a meadow close to their woodland earth. I waited for them to become active but felt uncomfortable where I was and went to change position.

As I was moving, a huge adult fox was making its way along the field edge towards the cubs. It saw me and fled. Thinking I had ruined the evening's watch I headed home across a freshly mown field where, unexpectedly, another fox had just arrived for an evening's foraging. I was caught out in the open and could only squat down to watch with binoculars. But somehow the fox became too suspicious and fled.

At that point I stopped and looked around for any more sightings. I suddenly spotted one fox in the distance on the bank where the fields rose to a bank of jagged rocks and boulders.

I saw through my binoculars that the fox was lying down with its brush curled over the front in typical fox posture. It was looking straight in my direction and must have been watching me for some time. Then an amazing thing happened.

As I panned my binoculars along the hillside I counted twelve other foxes also watching me. Perhaps they thought that I was one of the local farmers coming to check his cattle, something they would be familiar with. The place seemed over-run with foxes, or was it?

There is nothing in this area that would especially support an unnaturally high fox population. It is a typical rural setting where foxes survive completely as woodland creatures and not urban scavengers. As far as I could see, the foxes were at a totally natural balance at a time when there was very little change or pressure on the land from modern methods of agriculture.

Although lamb/sheep carrion remains were found at one earth, many other earths in the area remained without this and it seems that foxes were very much part of the ecosystem, having enough food to find in the unspoilt countryside. This enabled them to have smaller, better patrolled territories and enough food to sustain a good population.

Can this be disrupted by intensive agriculture, the use, for example, of nitrate fertilizer to make a more productive and fertile grass yield? I believe it can. It would lead to the deaths of many worms and insects as well as small mammal and birds.

Rabbits will need to reach particularly high densities in order to be relied upon as a regular source of food when there is little else in abundance.

In Britain the field vole is said to be a very important part of fox diet but it is absent from Ireland.

Since the small mammal population is not particularly varied (although woodmice are fairly common) there is only the odd bird to catch or an opportunity to scavenge from refuse.

But since the area is predominantly rural, scavenging from human waste or other human activities plays too small a part in the local foxes' survival.

This may lead to a higher dependence on lamb and sheep carrion, especially if foxes are culled on top of everything else and new foxes move into the area.

I have also found that deer carrion, when available, plays an important part of fox diet around Lough Key Forest Park.

So from my ten year observation of local foxes I have come to the conclusion that it is likely foxes are far happier playing a real role in an ecosystem untampered with by man, surviving completely non-dependent on him.

Though the fox is a very adaptable mammal, the interference with nature by man has had a definite effect on foxes in this area.

Red Fox Reading

The fox is one of the most widely written about mammals. If you want to learn all there is to know about foxes, you will certainly have no problem finding the material to study. Here we present you with a recommended starting point. By Peter Akokan.

Wild Fox by Roger Burrows (David & Charles 1968)
This book is a must for all foxwatching beginners. It is about an amazing study that took place in the 1960s by one man who used no special equipment and most of his study was made by direct observation. The author outlines his own experiences with wild foxes in a very simple and down to earth fashion.

He describes what he experienced through each month of the year for three years in a small area called Kents Green in Glousteshire.

It gave me an enormous head start when I first started trying to get closer to these animals and I can guarantee that anybody who reads it shall get much closer to foxes in the wild. The book not only clearly says how to find foxes but also explains the best time of year and time of day to wait and watch, whether watching an earth or a fox's regular trail. There are also some very interesting black and white photos and diagrams/tables. This is the first book I ever purchased on the fox, I treasure it and wouldn't give it away for anything.

Running with the Fox by David MacDonald (Unwin Hyman 1987)
Dr David MacDonald is a scientist specialising in carnivores as well as the rest of the mammal species.

He graduated from Oxford as a young man with a degree in zoology and has studied red foxes intensely - mostly in the Oxfordshire area - for the fifteen years since then.

He discovered and unearthed many unknown facts about the life of the red fox.

Using sophisticated equipment he radio-tracked and watched foxes in the darkness. Then by watching groups of foxes in captivity he came to the conclusion that the red fox is in fact a highly social creature and is not a lonely, solitary, cold-blooded animal.

The book really brings you closer to the mind and heart of the fox, not only is it very educational but it also has a storyline about the author's life with foxes and the ups and downs of being a foxologist. There is so much knowledge to be gained from this book as well as entertainment. The book won the 'Natural History Book of The Year' award and includes superb illustrations as well as many colour and black and white photos. There is also a section on rearing orphaned foxes and the best methods for rehabilitation.

The red fox - one of the most widely written about mammals.

The Red Fox by H.G Lloyd (Batsford London 1980)
An in depth scientific study made during the Seventies in mid-Wales. The author gives his own experience with the fox as well as his point of view as a pest controller and also views on foxes being left uncontrolled.

Studies on foxes in other parts of Britain as well as Europe and America are also included as well as many different personal experiences of the author make good reading. Includes black and white photos as well as tables and diagrams.

Red Fox - The Cat Like Canine (1986)
A very detailed study of the biology and behaviour of red foxes in a Canadian national park. The author pays attention to much detail that would otherwise be ignored by authors of other red fox books. Colour and black and white photos.

Fox Family by Minuro Takutatzu (1975)
Minuro Takutatzu, a Japanese vet, spent 12 years photographing a family of red foxes and the whole book is illustrated with these splendid photos as well as his knowledge and views on the future of the red fox.

A video also accompanies this book but the two are not on sale together. The author has a real love of the red fox and its wellbeing in the wild.

Town Fox, Country Fox by Brian Vesey Fitzgerald
A beautifully written book about the author's personal observations on urban foxes in the London suburbs during the 1950s.

There are many interesting points on fox hunting and the rural fox. There is no complicated scientific stuff and there is much serious and realistic information written in an easy, laid back manner.

In fact the author has hardly gone out of his way to study the animal and any observations were made from the comfort of his home looking out the window into his back garden. Interesting black and white photos and diagrams.

Urban Foxes by Stephen Harris (Whittet Books 1986)
Written in an interesting and a humorous way, this book outlines the amazing events that have taken place in the life of urban foxes.

Stephen Harris has studied the urban foxes for many years and was involved in the making of the BBC film 20th Century Fox during the 1970s which was about the urban foxes of Bristol. He also was involved in the live broadcasting of a fox family under a garden shed in the early 1980s. Brilliant drawings and other illustrations but no photos.

Country Foxes by Hugh Kolbe (Whittet Books 1996)
The history and present status of the fox in British society as well as the results from years of scientific research in East Scotland. Many tables and diagrams but no photos. Pretty much gives the epilogue of the red fox in Britain after all the years of studying by different scientists and naturalists. It's almost as if it presents itself as the last book to be written about the red fox in the British Isles.

Watching Foxes in the Shadow of the Fox by Martin Hemminton (Whittet Books 1997)
Excellent and simple instructions on how to study and observe foxes in the wild, whether urban or rural. There are many detailed diagrams and photographs of fox behaviour.

The author of this book also runs the 'National Fox Welfare Society' in Britain and is easy to contact for advice.

The society's address and telephone number are given in the book and having met and watched foxes with Martin, I can tell that he is truly a professional with years of experience and first hand knowledge of the fox. Black and white photos, drawings and diagrams.

City Foxes by Wendy Shattel
An American book written by an American author about urban and city foxes in the States. Many brilliant action photos in colour and details of her own experiences of how she captured the images.

Foxwatch Diary

The breeze was cold and a slight drizzle fell as we set off on a foxwatch in County Sligo but with a bright October moon illuminating the countryside we had high hopes of catching sight of some wildlife activity.

A large adult badger was the first sighting and not long after that a cat appeared. What we were most interested in, though, were foxes so on we continued up onto the hilltop.

The beam of our torch picked up a pair of eyes in the distance - a fox foraging for worms. Another set of eyes caught our attention and prompted Peter to imitate the sound of an injured rabbit. Would the fox react and come closer?

No. It either had enough food over there to keep it occupied or it could distinguish between the genuine sound of a rabbit in distress and a human imitating one!

We made our way along a ridge in search of more vulpine activity. We weren't to be disappointed. A few hundred metres away, a fox's head popped up out of the undergrowth. He had heard our footsteps and became suspicious. We stood dead in our tracks and waited to see what he would do.

He kept peering over in our direction, ready to dash away at the first hint of danger.

Peter continued with the rabbit routine and this fox slowly responded. He trotted through the rough grass, stopping every so often to reassess the situation. Hidden behind the torch beam, we watched him coming closer and closer.

Soon he was just a short distance from where we stood - pausing to the right of a small tree and giving us an opportunity to get a good look at him.

The three foxes spotted within a relatively small area suggested that a good supply of food exists around here - a healthy rabbit population, no doubt, and lots of worms and berries.

Fast food for foxes
Vixen and cub among visitors to Restaurant for Foxes

A farm in County Clare is proving very popular with local wildlife - not only can the animals find protection there but also a regular supply of food.

The land in question is fully preserved for wildlife and with hedges, trees and boglands left untouched, it provides valuable cover and food for fauna.

According to landowner and avid wildlife watcher, Philomena McInerney, frequent visitors to the property include both badgers and foxes.

"I have a badger sett and am visited nightly by two badgers at present," she says. "One year, however, I had seven badgers feeding on my lawn."

But it is about foxes that she speaks most enthusiastically.

"My fox's den is just a short walk down the field. The female fox is quite trusting of me and I can walk out and put food in her dish. These offerings include bread, potatoes, porridge and, "thanks to Tesco Superstore", bags of cooked meat scraps and the odd chicken.

Waiting for porridge and meat: one of the foxes which visits the wildlife friendly garden in Clare.

"I watched her one evening encouraging her cub to come into my lawn. She was introducing him to the McInerney Restaurant for Foxes! "It was like winning the lotto when he finally came and I had a good chunk of meat for him."

Philomena adds that her pets have no problems whatsoever with the wildlife coming into the garden.

"My seven cats love the foxes and badgers and all will eat only yards from each other" she says.

Share your fox story!

Do you feed foxes in your back garden? Keep an eye on your local fox population? We want to hear your fox stories now! Please email them to us now.

Observations - Cubs encouraged to work for food

So far this year I have made several interesting observations while out foxwatching and in the process learnt a bit more about these ever fascinating animals.

One evening I watched a vixen bringing food to the cubs. Instead of the cubs coming rushing towards the mother, as you might expect, only one popped its head out and upon seeing her, rushed underground again.

The mother then proceeded to bury the food at the mouth of one of the entrances before leaving again. Why bury the food instead of directly handing it over?

Vixens encourage cubs to work for their food by sniffing it out and digging around on the ground for it.

The immediate answer I can think of, for prey being buried around the earth, is that the parent wants to make the cubs work for their food a little by sniffing it out and digging for it.

A few other times when I was observing this vixen at an earth, I noticed that the cubs would not come out unless she made a very quiet, low sound. Then they would rush out on command.

When she would make the same kind of sound again the cubs would all rush below ground. She would use a different sound if she wanted them to follow her or to stay behind at the earth.

It's amazing to see that she has all these different commands for them and has them so well trained (thanks largely to evolution, of course). I cannot distinguish one low sound she makes from another but they all seem to mean a different thing from the cubs' reactions.

If you have any interesting observations please tell us about them. You are also invited to share your observations with other readers by writing an article for the next issue of Foxwatch News.
Peter Akokan

The Fox on the rocks

Tom Hardiman of Craughwell in County Galway captured these images of a group of foxes in a field. He outlines how a rocky drama began unfolding as he snapped away.

"I was on my way home after being out on Saturday, September 2nd. Not so far from Moyode Wood in Craughwell (where there was cubhunting going on) I spotted all the foxes just beyond a stone wall.

"I made my way forward and I took the photos through a hole in the wall. It was a stroke of luck that I spotted so many foxes together.

"It seems that it was a family of foxes around the rocks. It's hard to say what was going on but it looks like only one fox at a time was allowed up on the rocks [1].

"The large dog fox is seen here walking away from the rocks although he was looking back to keep an eye on what exactly was going on [2].

"It would appear that the fox on the ground is trying to convince the one on the rocks to let him up beside him. The fox on the rocks isn't interested in moving aside though [3]."

Tom Hardiman is Ireland's leading anti-foxhunting demonstrator. He regularly demonstrates against hunt cruelty outside Dáil Éireann and also carried out one-man protests in front of Loughrea Cathedral earlier this year.

The cathedral protests were to draw attention to the fact that the Galway Blazers have permission to terrorise foxes on a 70-acre farm owned by the Bishop of Clonfert.

Thanks for the photos, Tom.

Wildlife - consider this a warning

The impact which traffic has on wildlife is plain to see on roads all over the country - foxes, badgers, otters, rabbits, hares and pine martins are among the innocent victims.

The lives of thousands of wild animals could be saved, however, if Irish motorists fitted a pair of simple plastic devices to their vehicles.

Another victim: thousands of foxes and other animals are killed on Irish roads every year.

The thumb-sized animal warning devices, currently being marketed by a firm in the UK, could drastically reduce the unnecessary carnage on our roads.

Easily fitted by adhesive pads to any vehicle (including motorbikes), the devices work by emitting ultra-sonic sound waves as air passes through them.

The sound is created at forward movement of 35mph or more and can be heard by wildlife (but not humans!) up to 400 yards away. And the faster the vehicle is travelling, the louder the sound becomes. The American manufacturers stress that the 60 decibels sound is not aimed at frightening the animals but to alert them that danger is on the way - "the warning should cause the animal to stop and look around, trying to find where the sound is coming from".

Priced £9.95 sterling plus 50p P&P, the animal warning devices are available from Anderson Speciality Products, Dept FI, PO Box 311, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3GG, England. Please mention Foxwatch Ireland when ordering.

Foxwatch Ireland Newsletter - Credits

Editorial: Peter Akokan, Philip Kiernan, Dave Wall, Tom Hardiman, Philomena McInerney. Thanks to all who contributed.

Design: sanvar.

Snares injure and kill foxes - if you spot one in a field, don't hesitate to remove it (or better still, cut the loop and leave it exactly where it is). Good luck, fox fans!