Do NOT Interfere With An Active Fox Den

 

image used for illustration purposes

 Here is a problem we get all the time. Based on the response from the group it seems that studying the law regarding wildlife you deal with is a bore. Just as four badger cubs were transported without any documentation or license from the Isle of Wight to Somerset it seems that wildlife groups bend the law when it suits them.

On Greenwich Wildlife Network:

"We’ve found a fox and initially five (but now maybe three) cubs in a building site in kings X (between the British library and the Francis Crick Institute). We feel they may need to be moved before the building gets more intense?"

Adice: "Hi David, Unfortunately it isn't as simple as just moving foxes. Foxes are highly territorial animals, so if you remove them from their territory and place them somewhere else, they can be attacked by resident foxes and may struggle to find food, shelter and safe den sites.

There is also no guarantee that an entire family group could be trapped. You could easily end up leaving cubs or adults behind, separating the family and creating an even bigger welfare problem.

The good news is that foxes will often move cubs between several backup dens if they feel disturbed or unsafe, so they may relocate themselves as activity on the site increases.

We'd recommend contacting https://fox-a-gon.co.uk/ for advice on encouraging the family to move on naturally and humanely.

We would also strongly advise against using pest control companies that offer "humane relocation". In reality there is no genuinely humane way to relocate wild foxes long distances. Many foxes removed from their territory do not survive, and some companies may euthanise foxes despite using more reassuring language in their advertising.

If the site is due to be developed, it may also be worth speaking to the site manager so they are aware of the foxes' presence and can avoid any active den areas where possible"

I made it clear:

"Also it is illegal to tamper with an active den with cubs in: it is illegal and highly unethical to move, block, or destroy an active fox den while cubs are present. Under the UK's Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1995, intentionally causing suffering, crushing, or trapping animals inside a den is an offense. Everyone has now been notified publicly that there is a den and cubs so until dispersal season (around July) you cannot move. British Fox and Wild Canid Study f 1976"

Have We LOST The War For The Environment and Wildlife?

 Simply: YES

People are not interested in standing up for anything outside of their houses and driveways. People do not stop when they hit wildlife and do not care if the animal takes hours to die -"Shouldn't be on the road" is the usual response.  

Mature growth trees chopped down ("unavoidable") -"so what?"

It is now declared that "five new towns" will be built around Bristol (we've already seen the damage one "new suburb" underway has done).  NOT towns but in reality suburbs and guess where some will be built? Green sites and on traditionally wildlife rich areas because "they are pretty sites".

We are going to see an increase in wildlife and particularly badger, deaths during building due to site traffic and poisonous/hazardous materials left out. That is standard. Once pushed out of traditional clan territories WHERE will the badgers go? Onto the new builds where a developer will "get rid of them on the quiet"?  Certainly you can be assured that new home owners will be driving their cars over or through wildlife.

Corrupt local authorities and corrupt governments don't care and they know that the great British 'animal loving' public will simply sit back and let them do what they want.

After 50+ years I can tell you that no matter how hard we battle the war is lost because in reality NO ONE really cares.

Can someone stop a rescuer treating sick wildlife? (they try -regularly)

legally, they generally cannot prevent authorized professionals or a member of the public from taking a sick, injured, or orphaned wild animal to a vet or rescue for adequate treatment. However, in practice, bystanders can create conflict, and there are varying rules depending on the situation and location. [1, 2]

The Legal Standing (UK)

Taking for Treatment: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 legally permits anyone to take a sick, injured, or protected wild animal from the wild for the express purpose of providing it with adequate treatment and supportive care until it is fit to be released. [1]
Prevention Rights: A member of the public does not "own" the wildlife on their property. Therefore, they do not have the legal right to stop an authorized person (like an RSPCA officer or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator) from recovering or helping an animal in distress.

Private Property and Trespass

Access Rights: Private landowners can prevent rescuers from physically entering their land based on trespass laws. However, if an animal is in distress, rescuers often work with local authorities to negotiate access or involve the police to prevent an animal from being subjected to unnecessary suffering. [1, 2]
Interfering with a Rescue: Intentionally obstructing a lawful wildlife rescue or abusing a rescuer can escalate into a civil dispute or even a criminal offense, particularly if the prevention leads to cruelty or a protected species being harmed. [1]

Handling and Ethics

Intervention Debates: While people generally cannot stop rescuers, there is an ongoing ethical debate surrounding the rescue of wildlife. Some individuals believe in the natural order of things (survival of the fittest) and may voice frustration or try to stop well-meaning rescuers from intervening, though this does not grant them a legal right to stop the rescue. [1, 2]
The Danger of "Killing with Kindness": The British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council actively warns that while the public's intentions are compassionate, unlicensed or untrained individuals attempting to keep and treat wild animals themselves can cause more harm or delay necessary veterinary care. [1]

How to Handle Confrontation

If a property owner or bystander is attempting to obstruct a rescue, professional organizations strongly advise the following steps: [1]

Avoid confrontation: Step away to ensure personal safety.
Document the situation: Note the location, the animal's condition, and the person preventing the rescue.
Involve authorities: Contact the Police or a national animal welfare charity (such as the RSPCA in the UK) to handle the dispute and ensure the animal receives the care it needs. [1, 2]

Just To Make People Understand

 

 The New Hunting Ban

Do you want these men to have more of a say on hunting than you?

A Freedom of Information request by The New Hunting Ban has exposed the pro-hunting lobbyists invited to a government “round table” meeting on hunting law, while the consultation on trail hunting continues.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has refused to disclose what was discussed, claiming that releasing the contents of the meeting “would not be in the public interest”.

So here’s the question: whose interests are being protected?

It is our duty to make sure the voices of those who promote the suffering and death of our wildlife are drowned out by those who love animals and want hunting with dogs ended for good.

Take part in the consultation. Tell the government a ban on trail hunting alone will not be enough. The Hunting Act must be strengthened to end hunting properly.

There's less than two weeks left before the consultation closes - the most comprehensive guidance on completing it can be found here: https://thenewhuntingban.com/trail-hunting-consultation

#TheNewHuntingBan

Cat V Fox?

 

I must admit that I am gradually losing my patience with people claiming a fox keeps attacking their cat and they end up at the vets all the time spending more money.

Do they have video footage of these attacks? You get two answers:

1) No

2) I do but calling me a liar I am not going to share it

2 above after politely asking. I've had three people who apparently just stood and watched as "foxes tore my cat apart". I, for one, would not stand by and watch my pet being attacked. Basically, it's a lie.

WHY can these people not tell you which vet is continually treating their cats after fox attacks? As one insisted their cat was seen by a vet I checked with the only two vets in the area in question. Never had any cat in attacked by a fox. "Who said it was a vet locally?" screeched the group moderator (a friend of the complainer).

In 50 years I have NEVER seen a fox attack a cat. In a wildlife survey in London back in the 1960s it was noted that foxes "ran like hell" when a cat came at them. I cannot find any historical or genuine modern account of a fox attacking and killing a cat.

In the last 20 years I have had occasion to rescue 5 different adult foxes that were cornered outside (by different cats)).

"Bella" the semi feral black cat that lived next door was a regular for attacking foxes and even twice had to be stopped as she jumped on foxes backs and went for a neck bite to kill it. I have on video two different cats that were stalking foxes.

Foxes can bite but a cat has 4 sets of claws and very nasty sharp teeth. Cats have all the attack advantages.

Cats fighting other cats -a fox was seen so it is to blame. A neighbour's dog has a go at a cat -a fox is to blame., This country has truly no interest in facts just blame it on...the badger...the fox...deer....otter. The biggest threat to pet cats are the owners at times so present veterinary reports or video footage or just shut up.

"The UK is currently one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth"

 

"The UK is currently one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth, with an average 19% decline in species abundance since 1970. Nearly 1 in 6 (16%) of the over 10,000 studied species are threatened with extinction, placing the country in the bottom 10% globally for biodiversity intactness"

http://stateofnature.org.uk/

Another Fox Dies Due To Netting In A Garden

 

Sadly an avoidable death in this case. We have had a number of deaths because people cannot empty inflatable pools and cubs fall in and drown or because people are so lazy that they put up netting for football etc but will not consider wildlife and pull it up in the evenings. Another net caused death.

127 Friday 22 05 2026 Dead young male cub, caught in netting --- Moravian Road BS15 8ND I removed all the netting –rigor mortis had set in” (note. RM sets in 1-2 hours after death and peaks at 6 -12 hours)