Resident calls on Bristol City Council to round up foxes after attack on baby
A BRISTOL man is calling on the council to control the city's "dangerous" fox population.
Following news that a baby boy was dragged from his cot and injured by a fox in Bromley, south east London, public relations manager Tim Stanley urged the council to control the "pests".
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A BRISTOL man is calling on the council to control the city's "dangerous" fox population.
Cabinet member Gus Hoyt dismissed the idea of a cull and called for a "considered and balanced approach". He pointed to a council leaflet which advises people how to "live with urban foxes".
Mr Stanley told The Post: "This week's news has revived the debate about culling urban foxes and the time has come for the council to think again.
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"Some of the foxes in Henleaze are tagged so, if their movements are being monitored, it should not be too difficult to round them up and remove them.
"If Henleaze was plagued with rats I am sure the council would act to eradicate them; why not with foxes? Dogs are no longer allowed to roam the streets unless they are on a leash, so why should large dog foxes be permitted do so?"
He later added: "It's clear that foxes are pests. If we have an infestation of rats, which we do at the moment at the fruit market, the council would be doing something about it.
"Seeing as foxes are a danger to young children and babies, the council should be doing the same."
Councillor Gus Hoyt, cabinet member for the environment, communities and equalities, said: "While foxes have hit the headlines recently ... the hazards that they pose to people in general are very small indeed."
He said the council treated foxes as "part of the city's ecology".
He dismissed any means of controlling numbers as expensive and ineffective.
"We need to take a considered, balanced approach to these issues and listen to the advice of the scientific community," he added.
Professor Steve Harris, of the University of Bristol School of Biological Sciences, said fox numbers had been recovering since an outbreak of mange in the mid-1990s. He said the population was now stagnating.
Bristol City Council estimates there are 600 pairs of foxes in Bristol.
36 Comments
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by Lone_Ranger
Saturday, February 23 2013, 7:26PM
“4: Number of fox attacks on children reported in the last 10 years, leading to calls for a cull of foxes.
6,000: Number of dog attacks on children requiring hospital treatment each year, not leading to any calls for a cull of dogs.”
by corncups
Thursday, February 14 2013, 12:57PM
“The foxes are innocent.
We humans are by far the most disease ridden, habitat destroying, environmentally destructive, aggressive, violent and pointlessly greedy creatures ever to have existed on this planet.”
by ashleyvale
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 11:33PM
“Apparently Tim Stanley has 'an enviable breadth and depth of experience', not with urban ecology he hasn't. http://tinyurl.com/brgkhq6”
by mismanaged
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 8:25PM
“One of the neighbours in the recent case told of seeing twenty to thirty foxes in the road when he was coming home at 1 a.m., and a further four or five blocking the pathway to his front door. Maybe he needs to take a little more water with it. There is an element of the population which would kill anything which crawls, flies or breathes. I am of the view that dogs are more of a threat to young children. Most wild animals will run away when faced with a human being. I'm with Brennus in his view that a cull of PR managers would be more beneficial.”
by Brennus
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 5:45PM
“Let's round up all the PR managers and have them culled instead.”
by Vonner
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 5:19PM
“Here's a cheaper solution councils - start picking up the bins once a week again as when I last looked we don't live in Victorian times anymore...”
by BedmoBanjo
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 4:23PM
“Rats vs Foxes. Sorry but I seriously doubt foxes have much influence on rat populations. Rural fox - maybe. Urban fox - more likely to be tipping bins methinks. Chase a rat or go ala carte bin diving? I think we all know the answer.
Sorry but rat population is not a valid argument in my mind. Seems a lot of you guys have this urban wind in the willows image.
Anything living in a city is living off our rubbish. I see pigeons, rats and seagulls doing this - no reason to assume mr Fox is doing any different.”
by BedmoBanjo
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 2:51PM
“@C_Freak - Not taking the mickey at all. Can you please try writing a poem or summat? It'd be genius!”
by C_Freak
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 2:12PM
“An if you starts walking fox xxxx around the owse yoose ull soon know all abowt it! . Iss a damned sight worse than dogs!”
by C_Freak
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 2:01PM
“@nigant Wednesday, February 13 2013, 12:25PM
Eh, ast thee always been so damn rude? . Or dost thigh get up early an practice?
Rabies is just across the channel now, an it ownt take much ta get yer.”