Fox attacks babies in their own house

[Walsingham]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10251349.stm

 

Growing up in both Africa and the UK, and having been attacked by a wild dog as a child, I can broadly empathsie with this. it must have been terrible, but at the same time UK city dwellers have worse than no clue about wild animals. What actually amused me is that this attack and a preceding attack shown in the link have been met by expert denials that foxes are aggressive or dangerous, even though the experts concede that the animals will enter occupied houses!

 

I've seen what a fox will do to a rabbit or chicken. Am I being a hopeless old git if I contest that modern Britain has gone completely insane about foxes? They are vermin and hunting them has always been justified. In fact I may try to organise an urban fox hunt where teams of harriers hunt the fox from skateboards with pitbulls.

[Hurlshort]

Swiper no swiping!

[Calax]

I'm odd, when I saw the thread title I thought that Fox News had finally started truely foaming at the mouth and the anchors charged into somebodies house and attacked a baby....

[Gorgon]

Is this just a wild animal being wild. I dunno, seems unlikely. If it wanted food there a millions of garbage bins out there which carry much less risk.

Maybe it was sick scabies or rabid.

[Gorgon]

I do remember a fox mauling a litter of cubs when I was a kid. They were in so bad shape they all had to be put down.

[HoonDing]

I'm odd, when I saw the thread title I thought that Fox News had finally started truely foaming at the mouth and the anchors charged into somebodies house and attacked a baby....

Same here.

Edited June 7, 2010 by virumor

[Gorth]

Is this just a wild animal being wild. I dunno, seems unlikely. If it wanted food there a millions of garbage bins out there which carry much less risk.

Maybe it was sick scabies or rabid.

Maybe it just wanted "fresh" meat?

 

Or it found their squeeling so annoying that it wanted to put them out of their misery?

 

While the above is obviously a bad joke, the sound of mewling babies may have attracted the fox to what it considers easy prey.

[Nemo0071]

I'm odd, when I saw the thread title I thought that Fox News had finally started truely foaming at the mouth and the anchors charged into somebodies house and attacked a baby....

Same here.

Pretty much the same. And I don't even live in the U.S. (not exposed to the TV channel).

 

And he says he's odd...

[I want teh kotor 3]

I'm odd, when I saw the thread title I thought that Fox News had finally started truely foaming at the mouth and the anchors charged into somebodies house and attacked a baby....

Same here.

 

And here...

[Walsingham]

I can't believe you all thought it was the TV station!

[Gorth]

Everybody knows that Fox News are evil and eats babies for breakfast

[Nemo0071]

Everybody knows that Fox News are evil and eats babies for breakfast

Hmm... We may have unintentionally proved it with our little control group.

[Raithe]

Well.. it might add some interesting twists to the pro-fox hunting lobby here...

 

I blame it on the childhood image of the sneaky/comedy fox that turns up in so many kids cartoons ...All these people who see them as "noble animals" or at least, cute and harmless...

[Altered Idol]

This is the first story in years about a fox mauling some kids, yet it has stoked the flames of the pro-hunting lobby to get back on their horses and watch their dogs rip these animals to shreds.

 

It's funny its never the same reaction when its dogs that attack people, which is a far more frequent occurence. You don't see the hunters saddling up to get in some canine butchery.

 

The offending dog is put down and thats the end of the matter. Why any difference when dealing with a fox??

 

Why do the hunting lobby cream their pants at the idea of maiming and brutalising these creatures??

 

You may have seen what a fox does to a chicken but I've seen what a hunting dog does to a fox too. Its no better.

 

I'm not an active anti-hunt activist by any means, but the idea of these animals being ripped apart by dogs isnt exactly humane or civilised is it??

Edited June 8, 2010 by Altered Idol

[Monte Carlo]

I'm a townie. Foxes are vermin and they should be destroyed, with alacrity. How that is achieved is of little interest to me.

 

The reason people like hunting with hounds, I suppose, is because it's been done for hundreds of years and people enjoy it. Why, for chrissakes, are people like you so squeamish?

[Monte Carlo]

This is the first story in years about a fox mauling some kids, yet it has stoked the flames of the pro-hunting lobby to get back on their horses and watch their dogs rip these animals to shreds.

 

It's funny its never the same reaction when its dogs that attack people, which is a far more frequent occurence. You don't see the hunters saddling up to get in some canine butchery.

 

The offending dog is put down and thats the end of the matter. Why any difference when dealing with a fox??

 

Sorry, just spent a few moments thinking about this. Dogs are domesticated animals. The owner is responsible and, in the UK, legally liable for anything that dog does (q.v. The Dangerous Dogs Act). So if Fido bites you, yes you get fined and the dog gets put down.

 

Now, foxes, OTOH are wild animals. The comparison you make is so disingenuous it must be deliberate. In any case, dogs are by and large domesticated animals. I doubt country folk worry about the average Collie getting into a chicken coop. Foxes are annoying, fairly vicious predators. A cultural activity (which in other countries the average liberal would probably find patronizingly quaint or culturally valid) has grown up around it, a splendid confluence of community spirit and getting rid of a pest. Like I say, I'm a townie but that doesn't mean that I can't see why people would want to indulge in hunting with hounds.

[Gfted1]

Wait, the hounds are the ones that kill the foxes? Huh, I thought they just cornered the foxes then the guys on horseback came and shot them. Instead they are ripped to shreds by dogs? Nasty. Doesnt even sound like hunting, more sitting around drinking while your dog hunts for you. Obviously its not for the "sport" since the humans dont have anything to do with it.

Edited June 8, 2010 by Gfted1

[Gorgon]

So the people in the red smocks are just spectators on horseback, I never knew.

[Amentep]

Wait, the hounds are the ones that kill the foxes? Huh, I thought they just cornered the foxes then the guys on horseback came and shot them. Instead they are ripped to shreds by dogs? Nasty. Doesnt even sound like hunting, more sitting around drinking while your dog hunts for you. Obviously its not for the "sport" since the humans dont have anything to do with it.

 

I think having the dogs kill the fox is the common way, although its my understanding that in some areas the dogs flush the fox for hunters to shoot.

[Walsingham]

Hold on, Monte. I think it was an honest musing on the part of Idol, there. I can almost see his point. However, the difference is that dogs exist as companions and servants to humans. Foxes are verminous pests which interefere with and attack out interests. Does that not answer the point? I mean rats and 'roaches are just being natural; it doesn't mean I shouldn't slaughter the wee bastards.

 

Having elected to cull the little perishers I see no reason why the public purse should have to pay when there are rich folk willing to pay good money to do it for us. If it's less than Amnetsy International quality compassion then frankly who gives a ****? I mean seriously. There are people right now being pursued by janjawiid or what have you in worse conditions. Let's spend our time and money on them instead.

[Gorgon]

Pests, according to who ?

 

Japanese fishermen think dolphins are pests because they eat fish. Foxes are part of the friggin' eco system, nature, the big outdoors mate.

[Altered Idol]

Dogs, regardless of how domesticated they are, remain animals. And they retain the animalistic instincts.

 

By and large, we get on fine with dogs and they are loyal and trusty companions. But there are times when they are savage aggressive beasts, moreso than foxes in some cases.

 

If a dog savages a human, we put it down humanely regardless of how brutal the attack was.

 

But with foxes, because they are considered wild animals, should be hunted down en masse and either ripped apart by hounds or gunned down by a man on horseback. Does that not seem a bit archaic and barbaric to you??

 

And does it not stink of double standards?

 

My biggest problem with the whole fox hunting thing is the hypocrisy of the partcipants. They proclaim to be civilised people moments before they become primitives lusting after blood. I'm sorry but there's nothing civilised about that particular blood sport.

 

I'm not against taking action against foxes to prevent them getting at chicken's etc. I'm against a brutal "sport" of the gentry which is simply barbaric.

 

As Walsinghams says however, there are people being treated in an appaulling manner around the world and that needs to be dealt with.

 

I dont believe we should make animals suffer in such a manner so I certainly dont think people should be forced to either.

[Monte Carlo]

If a dog savages a human, we put it down humanely regardless of how brutal the attack was.

 

I don't know where you live, but in The Smoke if a dog is that savage a police car turns up, a copper with an MP5 gets out and slots fido.

[Hiro Protagonist]

Next we'll be hearing, a fox took my baby.

[Walsingham]

Pests, according to who ?

 

Japanese fishermen think dolphins are pests because they eat fish. Foxes are part of the friggin' eco system, nature, the big outdoors mate.

 

And if that headline had read 'Dolphin breaks into child's nursery to bite their tiny faces' then I might agree.

 

I don't know why I should think the great outdoors is automatically great, anyway. Black mambas are natural. But if you see one in the neighbourhood you don't **** about setting up a special nesting habitat for it.