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Animal rescuer defends foxes after residents issue warnings
ANIMAL rescuer Trevor Weeks has said residents issuing warnings about foxes killing neighbourhood pets are 'jumping on the bandwagon'.
Trevor, from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS), says foxes do not attack cats and that people should already be taking measures to protect their pets from harm.
This comes after Upperton Gardens resident Gaynor Young and Mark Kingdon from Pensford Drive contacted the Herald to raise their concerns about domestic animals being attacked.
Gaynor and Mark both told the Herald they liked foxes but felt the need to warn pet owners about the possible dangers.
Gaynor said she had found a dead cat with its innards pulled out on the pavement outside her home after hearing foxes in the middle of the night. Mark phoned on a separate occasion and said he had seen a fox with a pet rabbit in its mouth and had seen two of the neighbourhood's pet cats half eaten.
Mark said, "I am not jumping on the bandwagon. I have lived here for 23 years and this is the first time I have seen this sort of thing. I think people need to make sure their rabbits are locked up at night and their cats kept indoors."
But Trevor has said a fox wouldn't kill a cat because the cat has sharper claws and teeth than a fox. He has suggested a dog allowed to roam on it own may have been responsible or the cat may have been killed by a car.
Trevor said, "No-one has actually seen a fox attack and kill a cat and people are just jumping to conclusions.
"Foxes do take rabbits and I find it baffling that people feel they need to issue a warning. Anyone who buys a pet and puts it in their back garden should make sure its is safe and secure.
"There are lots of animals out there, including birds of prey, that will eat pets. It is a fact of life and it has been happening for years.
"It is common sense to protect your pet animals. This is nothing new."
Trevor says the recent 'scaremongering' from local residents has come after stories about foxes entering homes and attacking have appeared in the national news.
"The national press has hyped this up and people are jumping on the bandwagon trying to get the fox bad publicity," said Trevor.
He explained there was more fox activity at this time of year because the youngsters are leaving their parents, but said that did not mean there was an increase in the fox population or a dramatic change in their behaviour.
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Weather for Eastbourne
Saturday 26 May 2012
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