The finding and notes presented here are entirely my own and based on the conclusions of the post mortems carried out on foxes from Bristol which I submitted as the "owner" of and I am therefore permitted to give out this information without hinderance. No material is quoted or copied from the post mortem reports themselves.
It may be that certain parties do not wish to educate veterinarians, wildlife rescuers and the public on fox health matters (for whatever undisclosed reason) but it has been my stated aim since the outset to educate and inform.
As Langford is listed as an APHA Post Mortem Centre and it was where the APHA told me that dead foxes would need to be taken then they have a certain responsibility in this matter especially as they received some of the PM reports. Submission forms for each fox went to Bristol University Post Mortem Services (BUPMS) for submitting to Langford Veterinary School (LVS) and where foxes were handled by LVS staff and therefore BUPMS and LVS are also responsible for what takes place on their premises and through their service -BUPMS received copies of the PM reports.
Both LVS/BUPMS and APHA were made fully aware of the actions taken to stop use of the post mortem reports; they were furnished with a copy of the draft report as well as all email communications on the matter which included the threats made against me and uncalled for and unprofessional actions taken against myself and my publishing company.
After more than a THREE weeks I have not heard from any of the parties involved and the natural assumption is that someone they employ (LVS) and use for post mortems (APHA and BUPMS) being allowed to threaten via email and take legal actions against my company over a draft copy of a paper that was NOT published is sanctioned by them. These bodies have all received copies of the PM reports so have taken the data from the Project. I, as the person who started the project am not allowed to quote or "use any part" of those reports. With no response from any of the parties involved but continued threats, I have to assume that it was never intended to allow me to use information from fox post mortems even though, legally as declared on the submission forms, I was listed as the "owner".
The following is extracted from our own data as we weigh and check foxes before submission (or used to since I am told that I am banned from submitting any foxes). As for what killed the foxes as the "owner" I am perfectly entitled by law to give the causes of deaths. It is very important to wildlife rescuers, vets handling sick or injured foxes as well as others to understand what may be going on: that is in the public interest.
The Bristol Fox Deaths Project 2021-2024 : What we have found
Bristol is the only city in the UK to maintain a fox deaths register and via reported deaths can give a rough indication of how many foxes die in the city due to RTA. It has been an up-hill struggle to get the public to report dead foxes seen and Bristol City Council does not alert us to carcasses collected by their street clean teams. Over 600 foxes in three years is therefore low and statistically that figure can probably be more than doubled.
There has been no similar necropsy study carried out in the UK
We have confirmed that helminths are a major problem with foxes and have gone some way to identify species
After 79 necropsies we have shown that adenovirus is not "endemic in UK foxes":the lack of adenovirus findings with the project surprised the pathologist. There were also no findings of Infectious Canine Hepatitis (ICH):
Abstract from Serological and molecular epidemiology of canine adenovirus type 1 in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the United Kingdom; Walker, Fee, Hartley et al in Public Medicine Central) Scientific Report 2016 Oct 31;6:36051. doi: 10.1038/srep36051
"Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) causes infectious canine hepatitis (ICH), a frequently fatal disease which primarily affects canids. In this study, serology (ELISA) and molecular techniques (PCR/qPCR) were utilised to investigate the exposure of free-ranging red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) to CAV-1 in the United Kingdom (UK) and to examine their role as a wildlife reservoir of infection for susceptible species. The role of canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), primarily a respiratory pathogen, was also explored. In foxes with no evidence of ICH on post-mortem examination, 29 of 154 (18.8%) red foxes had inapparent infections with CAV-1, as detected by a nested PCR, in a range of samples, including liver, kidney, spleen, brain, and lung. CAV-1 was detected in the urine of three red foxes with inapparent infections. It was estimated that 302 of 469 (64.4%) red foxes were seropositive for canine adenovirus (CAV) by ELISA. CAV-2 was not detected by PCR in any red foxes examined. Additional sequence data were obtained from CAV-1 positive samples, revealing regional variations in CAV-1 sequences. It is concluded that CAV-1 is endemic in free-ranging red foxes in the UK and that many foxes have inapparent infections in a range of tissues."
I would argue that not enough foxes were tested and that the "endemic in free-ranging red foxes in the UK" is a guess but has led to many (including vets and wildlife rescues) dismissing other conditions as "adenovirus/ICH -it's endemic" and we miss out on what is really going on with some foxes. I repeat the fact that 79 necropsies and testing of foxes from the Bristol area did not reveal endemic adenovirus.
Through the necropsies as well as communications with wildlife rescues it was ascertained that "every year"they have jaundiced cubs and foxes, shutting down. Adenovirus was the believed cause but it has to be stated that no rescue ever submitted such a fox for necropsy but simply buried the animal in question and one wildlife rescue stated firmly that they would never submit such an animal for necropsy because "It's all ICH" and yet no tests were carried out to confirm this. These deaths have been ongoing for over a decade without investigation.
There are many papers from Europe in which it is stated that babesia and leptospirosis is found in the systems of foxes but they have built up immunity. Due to the young age of the cubs it would seem highly likely that they were too young to have built up resistance to babesia ans particularly leptospirosis which has hit foxes hard. Young adults affected can only be assumed to have not built up a strong enough immunity.
The main source of babesia would be ticks while the source of leptospirosis is highly likely the foxes main prey in urban areas -rats. Whether there is a stronger strain of leptospirosis in rats is difficult to ascertain as it was impossible to get a hold of fresh dead rats from the main lepto areas.
We have shown how a bite wound or other injury can lead to devastating effects on a fox's organs -particularly liver and kidneys.
We have also proven that far from being rare and during dispersal season, facial injuries in foxes are quite common. Cars tend to be the main cause although fights with other foxes have shown injuries from mild to medium that can be treated successfully in the wild to severe cases in which necrosis can strike quickly and spread rapidly; we have had two cases in which foxes were observed without injury but in the course of 3-4 days have rotting faces and a smell that requires a very strong stomach. Unfortunately no one was available to analysed tissue samples from these foxes to determine why the spread was so fast.
We had not, up until this study, considered cancer in foxes and there seems to be no other information available on this. It needs to be noted that Naletilić, Šoštarić-Zuckermann, et al did publish a paper in Animals (Basel) 2024 Feb 7;14(4):558. doi: 10.3390/ani14040558 titled Tumor and Tumor-like Lesions in Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Croatiawhich is worth reading.
Finding septicaemia and Salmonella septicaemia due to S. Typhimurium ST 313 was an eye opener as was Kobu virus. In a paper by Ramachandran, Panda, Higginson et al -Virulence of invasive Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 in animal models of infection, published: 4th August, 2017 they note:
"In our present study, we evaluated the virulence of Salmonella Typhimurium ST19 and ST313 clinical strains in different animal models of infection. We first determined the i.p. LD50 of three Salmonella Typhimurium ST19 and ST313 strains in CD-1 mice and in adult and juvenile BALB/c mice (peroral infection). In all three models, our LD50 data suggests that the ST19 and ST313 genotypes are equally virulent in mice. These findings corroborate a recent study that showed that Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 isolates are not human host-restricted and instead produce an invasive phenotype in experimentally infected chickens [12]. When we infected BALB/c mice with Salmonella Typhimurium D65 (ST313) and I77 (ST19) we found significantly more ST313 bacteria in the blood at 24 h p.i. We hypothesize that this model of p.o. infection of BALB/c mice for 24 h could be used to examine the pathogenesis of ST313 strains and host responses to these bacteria."
There appears to be no documentation of this strain in red foxes.
Since the first identification in 1989 in humans, kobuviruses (KoVs) have been identified from a wide range of animal species including carnivores, rodents, birds, ungulates, rabbits and bats.
Even the RTA foxes have taught us something about foxes -we certainly know more now than we did before and with the necropsies we found a great deal we would otherwise have been in the dark about.
I am told the necropsies are now concluded although continuation might have taught us more. The post mortem reports will be available to vets or pathologist who are interest so that we can take the "just foxes" attitude and show how vital they are to our eco systems the health of which the foxes conditions are a great indicator.
Fox Statistics Sex, Weight, Age and Body Condition
Fox Number Sex (Dog/Vixen) Weight (Kg) Age Body Condition
001 Not Known 1.47 Adult Dessicated
002 Not Known 2.68 Juvenile Very Rotten
003 Vixen 6.0 Adult Fair
004 Vixen 3.3 Juvenile Poor
005 Dog 6.1 Adult Fair
006 Dog 5.22 Juvenile Fair
007 Dog 8.0 Adult Good
008 Dog 5.7 Juvenile Fair
009 Vixen 5.3 Adult Fair
010 Vixen 3.55 Young Adult Emaciated
011 Dog 8.22 Adult Good
012 Dog 7.19 Adult Good
Foxes 11 and 12 that were placed on a pavement in a way that caused a great deal of local suspicion; it turns out someone actually moved them from the busy road to prevent their being continuously run over. Photo (c)2025 P. Beard
013 Dog 4.62 Adult Emaciated
014 Dog 5.33 Adult Fair
015 Dog 7.4 Adult Good
016 Vixen 3.67 Young Adult Emaciated
017 Vixen 4.56 Old Adult Poor/Emaciated
018 Dog 4.17 Old Adult Poor
019 Vixen 4.01 Young Adult Fair/Poor
020 Vixen 4.18 Adult Emaciated
021 Dog 5.8 Adult Fair
022 Dog 3.82 Adult Poor
023 Vixen 4.61 Young Adult Fair
024 Vixen 4.51 Young Adult Good/Fair
025 Vixen 1.59 Juvenile Good
026 Dog 1.96 Juvenile Fair/Poor
027 Vixen 1.62 Juvenile Fair/Poor
028 Vixen 2.91 Young Adult Fair
029 Dog 4.80 Old Adult Poor/Emaciated
030 Dog 4.98 Adult Poor
031 Vixen 3.01 Adult Emaciated
032 Dog 4.04 Young Adult Poor/Emaciated
033 Vixen 4.46 Adult Poor/Emaciated
034 Vixen 2.99 Adult Emaciated
035 Vixen 5.28 Adult Poor/Emaciated
036 Dog 4.96 Adult Poor/Emaciated
037 Dog 4.95 Adult Poor
038 Vixen 4.36 Young Adult Fair
039 Vixen 4.56 Young Adult Fair
040 Dog 6.91 Adult Poor
041 Dog 6.58 Adult Good
042 Vixen 5.43 Adult Fair
043 Dog 4.7 Adult Fair/Poor
044 Dog 7.29 Adult Fair
045 Vixen 1.55 Cub Fair/Poor
046 Vixen 0.53 Cub Poor
047 Vixen 0.71 Cub Fair/Poor
048 Dog 1.71 Cub Fair/Poor
049 Vixen 4.93 Adult Fair
050 Dog 1.12 Cub Fair
051 Dog 3.58 Adult Poor/Emaciated
052 Dog 5.78 Adult Fair/Poor
053 Vixen 3.8 Young Adult Poor/Emaciated
054 Dog 4.65 Adult Poor/Emaciated
055 Dog 3.05 Young Poor/Emaciated
056 Dog 4.8 Adult Poor
057 Dog 5.69 Adult Fair
058 Dog 5.27 Adult Good
059 Dog 4.95 Adult Poor
060 Vixen 2.41 Juvenile Emaciated
061 Vixen 5.59 Adult Good
062 Dog 3.12 Adult Emaciated
063 Vixen 4.11 Young Adult Poor/Emaciated
064 Dog 4.27 Adult Poor/Emaciated
065 Dog 4.03 Juvenile Very Poor
066 Vixen 3.40 Adult Emaciated
067 Dog 2.11 Cub Poor
068 Dog 0.95 Pre-weaning Poor
069 Dog 1.7 Juvenile Fair
070 Vixen 1.17 Cub Fair
071 Dog 1.16 Cub Fair
072 Vixen 1.7 Cub Poor
073 Dog 2.6 Cub Fair
074 Dog 3.2 Cub Fair
075 Vixen 2.51 Adult Poor
076 Dog 2.92 Cub Poor
077 Dog 3.81 Adult Poor/Emaciated
078 Dog 6.61 Adult Poor
079 Dog 4.49 Adult Poor
080 Dog 4.85 Adult Emaciated
081 Dog 5.9 Adult Poor/Emaciated
Total Vixens 31
Total Dog Foxes 48
Unknown 4 (2 carcasses lost and two were too far gone)
Body Condition is as given by the pathologist at the time of necropsy.
It should be noted that traditionally any fox up to one year of age is considered a “Cub”. After that first year, any that survive are considered “Adults” and any over two years of age are considered “Old” although research has shown that foxes can survive 6-8 years in the wild and in towns and cities.
Maps
Map 1. Distribution of babesia cases in Bristol foxes. It should be noted that not all foxes were screened for babesia and that only foxes reported and submitted for necropsy are known.
Map 2. Distribution of leptospirosis cases in Bristol foxes. These are cases reported and which were assessed in situ and submitted for necropsy. In 2023 to early 2024 we lost seven collapsed and jaundiced foxes due to no available person to collect and store carcasses. Also during that period some five carcasses went missing that were stored at vets and two at the pathology lab so the final number of cases could be far higher.
Map 3. Distribution of all Bristol fox jaundice cases whether cause was leptospirosis, babesia or undetermined. Due to fox carcasses lost between 2023-2024 the map is less populated than it should be.
Determined Causes of Deaths
Fox Number Cause of Death
001 Not Known
} Due to body condition
002 Not Known
003 Internal injuries from RTA
004 Babesia spp
005 Trauma (RTA)
006 Trauma (RTA)
007 Chronic poisoning due to bromadiolone (SGAR)
008 Trauma (RTA)
009 Snaring/escape and trauma (RTA)
010 Emaciation and severe extensive pneumonia which
probably caused a degree of congested heart failure
011 Trauma (RTA)
012 Trauma (RTA)
013 Kidney failoure.babesiosis
014 Chronic subcutaneous wound, chronic and focally extensive verminous pneumonia and a limited chronic focal nephritis. The significance of Babesia has not been confirmed but obviously it could be significant.
015 Died directly due to bite wounds
016 Sarcoptes scabeiei
017 Colisepticaemia, severe pneumonia and necrotic nephritis.
018 Age and previous traumatic damage may be the most
significant underlying findings to explain the cause of
death
019 Perforate ulcer of the caecum (appendix) was the cause of
death and may have resulted in septicaemia
020 Trauma was the ultimate cause of death but this vixen
was likely to have died soon anyway from a number of
factors which may be interlinked.
021 Trauma (RTA)
022 Leptospirosis
023 Trauma (RTA)
024 Head Trauma (RTA)
025 Leptospirosis
026 Leptospirosis
027 Kyphosis with a palpable kink in the lower lumbar region
and paraplegia
028 Ingestion od plastic packaging which caused stomach impaction and intra-luminal haemorrhage from the stomach and focal areas along the small intestines.
029 Severe necropathy and lymphoma (cancer)
030 Dog or fox bite leading to bacterial infection in the brain and Streptococcus spp. may have been the predominant bacteria
031 Septicaemia and renal infection which may have been due to haematogenous spread or ascending infection via the urinary tract.
032 Septicaemic and had severe chronic verminous pneumonia Test results identified Streptococcus canis spp. and Salmonella spp. (which might be incidental) Group B.
033 Chronic inner ear infection/severe chronic kidney disease.
034 Severe kidney damage resulting in uraemia.
035 Severe chronic verminous pneumonia caused right-side heart failure and a severe hepatopathy of unknown cause.
036 Renal amyloidosis with subsequent uraemia
037 Severe generalised amyloidosis of glomeruli which caused debilitation and uraemia. This and chronic changes in the lungs that were possibly due to a previous lungworm infestation and the liver changes may have been sequential to the kidney and lung pathology
038 Verminous pneumonia may be implicated as the cause of the clinical signs noted in this fox.
039 Non-instantaneous fatal RTA
040 Septicaemia with Paseurella multocida as the cause of death initiated by a bite wound.
041 Trauma RTA- significant subcutaneous, intra abdominal and thoracic haemorrhage.
042 Trauma (RTA)
043 Amyloidosis was identified as the cause of severe uraemia and clinical disease of this fox.
044 Streptococcus canis septicaemia with severe bacterial pneumonia. The verminous pneumonia was long standing and it may have predisposed Streptococcus canis infection leading to septicaemic spread.
045 Mismnothering
046 Mismothering
047 Congenital internal hydrocephalus
048 Mismothering and the heavy intestinal worm burden
049 Severe mastitis, jaundice and uraemia
Mastitis in fox photo (c)2025 Sarah Mills
050 Leptospirosis
051 Long standing disease problems with resultant streptococcal septicaemia and, shortly before being found, suffered trauma causing internal haemorrhage.
052 Trauma (RTA)
053 Chronic severe interstitial nephritis and verminous pneumonia which caused emaciation with concomitant possible spinal injury.
054 Severe chronic hepatopathy, severe verminous pneumonia and Babesia vulpes parasitism.
055 Chronic hepatopathy, verminous pneumonia and confirmed Babesia vulpes led up to this fox’s death.
056 Pyothorax (infection of the pleural space) and uraemia of uncertain aetiopathogenesis
057 Enteritis, extensive renal pathology and was uraemic. CAKV-like virus was identified in the faeces. However the aetiopathogenesis of the clinical signs is not certain.
058 Trauma (RTA)
059 Severe chronic verminous pneumonia and non-suppurative encephalitis.
060 The cause of the chronic illness, jaundice that resulted in the death of this vixen cub was not determined
061 Trauma (possibly RTA)
062 There was evidence of previous trauma, internal and external parasitism and dual infection with Anaplasma and Babesia. All of which would have contributed to the emaciated state of this fox
063 Facial injury leading to inability to hunt/eat
064 Ill health and starvation following possible RTA
065 Probable RTA trauma was the cause of the facial wound, internal haemorrhage and ultimate death.
066 RTA caused the head lesions in this case.
067 Acute leptospirosis
068 Mismothering
069 Acute leptospirosis
070 Peracute/acute leptospirosis
071 Parvovirus enteritis
072 Acute leptospirosis
073 Not determined –carcass lost at pathology lab
074 Not Determined –carcass lost at pathology lab
Below: foxes 073 and 074 which were lost at Langford Veterinary School so not subject to post mortem examination. (c)2025 Sarah Mills
Above Fox 073
Below Fox 074
075 Verminous enteritis, possible head trauma and mild jaundice of unknown cause
076 Cholestasis was confirmed that it may have been due to extra or intrahepatic causes. The two most common causes of intrahepatic cholestasis are leptospirosis and infectious canine hepatitis but both were ruled out.
077 Severe chronic verminous pneumonia
078 Chronic kidney damage, which would have caused the poor condition, before being in a non-fatal RTA with significant blood loss
079 A very severe Angiostrongylus vasorum infestation was the cause of the disease problem in this fox; the thoracic haemorrhage was probable a sequel to this infestation.
080 The main underlying problem was severe chronic verminous pneumonia predisposing Streptococcus dysgalactiae dysgalactiae pneumonia and pleurisy. There is also possible evidence of viral enteritis. These extra disabilities in turn may have made this fox a more likely victim for traumatic damage.
081 Salmonella septicaemia due to S. Typhimurium ST 313 was the cause of disease in the fox
Below: photos of clinical signs of jaundice in a fox. (c)2025 Sarah Mills
Fox Facial Injury Cases
Facial injury cases are not all fight/challenge amongst foxes as we have seen. The following are just eighteen of the facial injury cases from the Bristol area for 2021 -2023 and there have been at least twelve other cases in 2024.
001: BS56RG (FF1a), 03/05/21. Photo showing damage/missing flesh on the left side of the face, tried to trap but the fox disappeared, assumed dead.
002: BS70RG (FF2a), 26/05/21. Missing a portion of flesh around the right side of the face/lower jaw, teeth visible through the side of the face, lots of slobber hanging from mouth. Didn’t go in the trap, currently still alive, some healing visible to the side of face and able to eat.
003: BS56RG (FF3a), 03/06/21. Went in the trap and was taken to the vet for euthanasia. Extensive wound to the left side of face, missing flesh, teeth exposed, one deep wound filled with maggots eating into the side of the head.
004: Bath (Bath 1), 30/07/21. Was caught after a period of time and PTS. Extensive damage to the lower left jaw, parts missing. Was sent for PM, believed to be RTA.
005: BS92AA (FF4b), 04/08/21. Video of fox showing damage to the right side of face, disappeared assumed dead.
006: Westbury-on-Trym (FF5b), 08/10/21. Videos show damage to the right side of the face, although the fox is still able to eat. Currently still alive, some healing seen.
007: BS92JJ (BF6a), 25/10/21. Found dead with a large wound to the right side of the face, sent for PM believed to be RTA.
008: BS166SQ (BF17a), 01/02/22. Rescue call out for collapsed fox, large facial wound to the right side of the face, died on the way to the vets. Sent for PM, assumed RTA.
009: BS7 0LD (BF27a), 10/06/22. SW call for trapping a fox with extensive facial injury, large injury to the front of face, caught the same day trap was set and euthanized by vet. Sent for PM (Fox 063)
010: BS15 8AS (FF6b), 16/11/22. Rescue call to catch fox with facial injury, attempt to catch on 15/11/22 failed and trap was placed. Caught and PTS by Zetland vets.
011: BS9 2LS (FF7b), 06/01/23. Rescue call out for fox with facial injuries under hedge. Picked up and PTS.
012: BS11 0QT (FF8b), 14/01/23. Rescue call out for fox with extensive face wound. PTS
013: BS7 9YE (FF9b), 16/01/23. Rescue call out for fox with extensive face wounds, caught and PTS. Bone of the jaw was exposed
014. BS7 9YE (FF10b), 20/01/23. Another fox at the same location (above) was also seen to have the same facial wound. I don’t believe they fought as the wounds don’t correlate. This was caught 30/01/23 and PTS.
015. BS34 7EJ (FF11b), 06/02/23. Rescue call out for fox with part of the jaw hanging off. Damage to below the chin, chip of bone was missing, one of the upper canines was also missing. All of the tissues on the tip of lower jaw missing, lower canine exposed to the root. Massive infection, PTS
016. BS30 9DB (FF12b), 22/03/23. Rescue call out for another facial injury fox, PTS
017. BS31 2ND (FF13b), 31/03/23. Vixen with damage to left side of face, caused by a dog attack. she had a litter of cubs so trapping was not possible. With a course of antibiotics in situ it has been healing well, all cubs are okay.
018. BS5 7BG (FF14b), 25/05/23. Fox with injured face on left side. Not overly deep, just large. Seems to be healthy wound so far. Treatment in situ is being attempted.
Case 017 is interesting in that, although the vixen has a scar she has raised her cubs and doing very well (see images FFI 001 and FFI 002).
Injuries during fox dispersal season were looked at by Carl D. Soulsbury, Philip J. Baker & Graziella Iossa & Stephen Harris in Fitness costs of dispersal in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes ) Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 1 January 2008 / Published online: 27 February 2008 pp 1294-1296. The authors noted:
“Dispersers (N =7) had significantly more minor (2.6±0.6 versus 0.5±0.2; W=133.0, p <0.01) and major wounds (1.1± 0.3 versus 0.4±0.2; W=121.0, p =0.04) than non-dispersers (N =17; Fig. 3). Samples sizes were not sufficient to examine sex differences in the total number of wounds for dispersing individuals. However, there were no significant differences in the number of minor (Mann–Whitney test: W=88.5, p = 0.104) or major wounds (Mann–Whitney test: W=75.5, p = 0.630) between non-dispersing males (N =9) and non- dispersing females (N =8). Minor and major wounds combined were not equally spread across the body for either dispersing (Friedman test: S 7 =14.91, p =0.037, adjusted for ties) or non-dispersing (Friedman test: S 7 =27.58, p <0.001, adjusted for ties) subadult foxes; post-hoc analyses indicated that the muzzle had significantly more wounds than all other regions of the
body. In the case of dispersing individuals, the number of wounds on the muzzle was not, however, significantly different from the number of wounds on the face.
“However, as had been reported in other species (Woodroffe et al. 1993; Woodroffe
and Macdonald 1995; Kays et al. 2000; Cant et al. 2001), levels of wounding were significantly higher in dispersing individuals. The majority of bite wounds were located in the facial region, particularly on the muzzle, and were minor, suggesting they were the result of ritualised fights; red foxes fight by standing face-to-face on their hind feet with forepaws on each other’ s chest and attempt to push their
opponent backwards, thereby forcing it to flee (Vincent 1958; Fox 1969; Macdonald 1987). Biting, when it occurs, is directed at the muzzle, lower jaws and cheeks of the
opponent (Fox 1969). However, severe wounding can occur, and this was also higher in dispersing individuals. Furthermore, these data were collected at a time when density was relatively low for this population (4.0–5.5 adult foxes/km 2 ).
Above: FFI 001 face is healing following treatment in situ with antibiotics and pain relief medication.
Above: FFI 002 a couple of months after treatment in situ –this seems to help medication work better as there is no stress of trap and prolonged treatment in a rescue centre –in fact this fox would have been euthanized by a rescue. Instead the vixen is alive, raised cubs and will probably have another letter in 2024.
“As the number of encounters with residents and their associated risks are likely to increase with density, the role of injuries as a cost to dispersal may be increasingly
important as density increases (Harris and Smith 1987; White et al. 1995).”
In the Author’s experience working with UK police forces between 1977-2018 it was always easy to identify an animal that had attacked sheep or other animals as out of control dogs was that faces were bitten and torn. This seems common amongst wild and domestic canids. Wounds caused by foxes to other foxes can be treated successfully in situ and more rescues are taking this approach as it causes less stress to the fox in question and reduces costs of kennelling and feeding a captive fox taken in for treatment.
Most of the cases that we have seen from Bristol appear to be car related and there have been similar around the UK as there is now a growing photographic data base of facial injury cases. In many cases foxes may have a scarred face or lose an eye but they live on and often without treatment from rescues. We now assess facial injuries based on severity and treat accordingly.
Despite what is commonly believed facial injuries are not rare and also not all caused by foxes challenging each other. The problem is getting people to report facial injuries as soon as they see them.
End Note
Langford Veterinary School Pathology is part of Bristol University Post Mortem Services and is also the regional designated post mortem centre for the Animal Plant Health Agency. It was a shock to learn that two foxes handed in had been lost "probably in amongst all the other carcasses" and a search not finding them. We followed a strict line of custody whereby a dead fox was reported, checked and if suitable for PM was stored and then hand delivered to the lab and the movement/storage of any carcass was logged and in the case of these two foxes incidents on the morning of delivery made it memorahle and the suggestion that perhaps we had not delivered them was easily and quickly pushed out of the way.
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