AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

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Oscar Namechange
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AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

Post by Oscar Namechange »

When this was first advertised, I had mixed feelings. My biggest fear was the on going documentary would show Urban Fox In a bad light.

I could not have been more wrong.

The entire hour was a joy to watch although as predicted, at times, heartbreaking.

The first hour long special really did sum up the every day struggle our Urban Foxes have just to survive and feed their young. I was also pleased to see that many myths were dismissed and positive reporting which Included live web cams, may dispel much of the attitudes of the British about Urban Foxes. I was particually pleased to see them Include the family structure of groups of Fox such as when an aunt continued to feed another Vixens young after her own cubs had died.... This really showed for the first time one of the positive and warming aspects of the Fox.

Well done Channel Four.

I can't link the actual live web cams on the dens they are watching as apparently so many people logged on during the programme, that the site crashed....

Channel 4 live shows to investigate urban foxes | Media | guardian.co.uk
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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Bryn Mawr
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AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

Post by Bryn Mawr »

oscar;1392551 wrote: When this was first advertised, I had mixed feelings. My biggest fear was the on going documentary would show Urban Fox In a bad light.

I could not have been more wrong.

The entire hour was a joy to watch although as predicted, at times, heartbreaking.

The first hour long special really did sum up the every day struggle our Urban Foxes have just to survive and feed their young. I was also pleased to see that many myths were dismissed and positive reporting which Included live web cams, may dispel much of the attitudes of the British about Urban Foxes. I was particually pleased to see them Include the family structure of groups of Fox such as when an aunt continued to feed another Vixens young after her own cubs had died.... This really showed for the first time one of the positive and warming aspects of the Fox.

Well done Channel Four.

I can't link the actual live web cams on the dens they are watching as apparently so many people logged on during the programme, that the site crashed....

Channel 4 live shows to investigate urban foxes | Media | guardian.co.uk


Having missed the train I aimed for I had more time than usual on the platform yesterday.

I found myself eyeball to eyeball with a vixen who's expression said "what are you doing at my end of the platform?". After deciding I was no threat, she caught a ?rat? and took it over to the edge of the sidings to the delight of her four cubs who played quite openly, venturing up to twenty yards from the entry to their earth - when she went hunting again they went to ground, at most venturing a couple of feet from the entry.
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AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

Post by Oscar Namechange »

Bryn Mawr;1392592 wrote: Having missed the train I aimed for I had more time than usual on the platform yesterday.

I found myself eyeball to eyeball with a vixen who's expression said "what are you doing at my end of the platform?". After deciding I was no threat, she caught a ?rat? and took it over to the edge of the sidings to the delight of her four cubs who played quite openly, venturing up to twenty yards from the entry to their earth - when she went hunting again they went to ground, at most venturing a couple of feet from the entry.


You were priviliged and very lucky Bryn for despite the Idea that the Urban Fox has become bold enough to confront humans, the truth Is, they have become accustomed to humans but remain fearful and timid. If anyone ever disputes this, all I can say, Is, the next time you see one, try picking him up !!!

It makes perfect sense as to the location of your sighting Bryn as most Urban Foxes favour railway lines because here, they go unchallenged by humans.

Catching a rat or small rodent Is also perfectly the norm as the myth remains that Foxes only eat chickens when the truth Is, their first staple diet Is earth worms and second rats and mice. One of the biggest area's for familys of Urban Foxes Is the disused Battersea Power Station where the Foxes are little nuisence to anyone for the abundance of rodents. It Is only In winter when a Fox finds the ground frozen and unable to dig with rodents In short supply that they become desperate. That Is not to say that no Fox Is going to stroll uninterested past a poorly guarded chicken coop.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

Post by tabby »

This was interesting to read, I had no idea that they had become so acclimated to living in urban areas. Clearly the species is very resilient and adaptable and probably deserving of their reputation as highly intelligent. In the woods around where we live, there are red foxes and gray foxes but they rarely show themselves. Probably another smart move!
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AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

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tabby;1392608 wrote: This was interesting to read, I had no idea that they had become so acclimated to living in urban areas. Clearly the species is very resilient and adaptable and probably deserving of their reputation as highly intelligent. In the woods around where we live, there are red foxes and gray foxes but they rarely show themselves. Probably another smart move!


Please watch this link taken from tonights show......... It's one of the live web cams ( that have crashed due to so many people ).... really cute cubs !!!

Fox vs. Bird | Foxes Live | Channel 4 - YouTube

This Is a subject I am very passionate about Tabby. I have strived for years against the hunting of Fox In this country and trying to educate people that most of the myths surrounding them are nonsense....

The beginnings of the Urban Fox really started In the 1930's, post WW1 when the property market took off with mass building on Green pastures.

Here's a bit of Fox trivia for you. Many believe that the Urban Fox Is a breed of It's own...... It's not.... They are all the same species.... Vulpes Vulpes...

A Red Fox will cross from the Countryside Into a town but an Urban Fox will not cross Into the countryside. If you trap an Urban Fox In a town and release It Into the countryside, you can face the charge of Abandonment..
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

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oscar;1392610 wrote: Please watch this link taken from tonights show......... It's one of the live web cams ( that have crashed due to so many people ).... really cute cubs !!!

Fox vs. Bird | Foxes Live | Channel 4 - YouTube

This Is a subject I am very passionate about Tabby. I have strived for years against the hunting of Fox In this country and trying to educate people that most of the myths surrounding them are nonsense....

The beginnings of the Urban Fox really started In the 1930's, post WW1 when the property market took off with mass building on Green pastures.

Here's a bit of Fox trivia for you. Many believe that the Urban Fox Is a breed of It's own...... It's not.... They are all the same species.... Vulpes Vulpes...

A Red Fox will cross from the Countryside Into a town but an Urban Fox will not cross Into the countryside. If you trap an Urban Fox In a town and release It Into the countryside, you can face the charge of Abandonment..


I couldn't get the video clip to work last night and was having problems with it for a while this morning but finally got it to work! Those pups are relentless in demanding a meal ... Mama fox looks like she could use a stiff drink! :D

It's interesting about their self imposed physical boundaries! It's as if they're determined to remain in their "ancestral home" and simply adapt to the changes in the landscape.

How do the urban foxes interact with cats and small dogs in general? Will a fox go after a house cat? Or do they ignore each other for the most part? I doubt the fox could harm a dog. They're bound to be keeping the rodent population down.
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AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

Post by Oscar Namechange »

tabby;1392621 wrote: I couldn't get the video clip to work last night and was having problems with it for a while this morning but finally got it to work! Those pups are relentless in demanding a meal ... Mama fox looks like she could use a stiff drink! :D

It's interesting about their self imposed physical boundaries! It's as if they're determined to remain in their "ancestral home" and simply adapt to the changes in the landscape.

How do the urban foxes interact with cats and small dogs in general? Will a fox go after a house cat? Or do they ignore each other for the most part? I doubt the fox could harm a dog. They're bound to be keeping the rodent population down.


The self Imposed boundaries stem from the Fox being fiercely territorial and why anyone trapping a nuisence Fox will always release him exactly where he came from. To release him In another area could even mean he many be killed In a territory fight with Alpha Dogs and Vixens. The myth that Foxes roam In large packs Is nonsence. They live In close family units and cubs are ousted at around 9 months old. The average live span of the Fox Is just two years so new cubs go on to take old territories or form new ones where an Alpha has died.

I have had a very funny episode with my own Foxes. As Is the norm, cubs have been ousted around 9 months old every year but last years cubs have pulled a fast one on me. The cubs got to about 9 months old but Instead of dispersing Into new area's, they just cheated and went round the corner. There Is now this bizzarre situation where when I go out to feed them, there are two familys out there. One family Is to the left of the house and the new family of last years cubs to the right. Between them, Is a distance of no more than 15 feet. The left will not cross the boundary to the right family and the right family will not cross the boundary to the left family. I feed each family seperatly.

As for cats and dogs....... There Is a recorded episode of a Fox attacking a Toy Chihuahua but to be fair to the Fox, he could have mistaken It for a rodent.

The truth Is, no Fox Is a match for a cat. For one, a cat can out run a Fox and a cat can rip a Fox to pieces. Some years ago In Oxford, the RSPCA carried out one of the biggest survey's Into weather Foxes were killing cats. They collected and analysed over 10,000 seperate Fox droppings. Only 8 droppings were found to be contaminated with cat fur.... this Is not to say that 8 cats were killed by Foxes for Foxes take carrion or road kill and more likely those cats had been hit by cars before the Fox took them.

The Vixen Fox Is no bigger than the average cat In size. If Foxes have an abundance of earth worms and rodents, they do not get desperate. At worst a Vixen will chase an Inquisitive cat away from her cubs, at best, she will share a meal with local cats. The local cats often come to Investigate when my Foxes are feeding and I've even seen next doors cat wrestle a chicken drumstick off one of my Foxes and succeed.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

Post by tabby »

What do you feed them, Oscar? Raw meat? Pet food?

I remember an incident here in Virginia regarding foxes last year sometime and I'll see if I can find the news article. You won't be pleased at it but you may find it interesting.
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tabby;1392651 wrote: What do you feed them, Oscar? Raw meat? Pet food?

I remember an incident here in Virginia regarding foxes last year sometime and I'll see if I can find the news article. You won't be pleased at it but you may find it interesting.


I am extremely lucky Tabby.... My husbands best friend owns the local fast food outlet and sells fried chicken. They butcher their own chickens and twice a week we are delivered approx 7 kilo's of chicken guts and waste. Then, another two of his pals own local Indian resturants and they butcher their own lambs. Every Sunday night, they deliver all the lamb trimmings and waste for us. They really are a godsend to us. At the moment, the Vixens have cubs so they do what I call 'Gathering'.... they'll come and eat a little In front of me and then gather as much as they can cram Into their mouths and dissapear with It all. A few minutes later, back the vixens come to gather more.... I should be seeing new babies any week now. We also give them fresh eggs every night.... that's the only thing I actually buy for them.

I'd be Interested If you can find the link.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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Post by Bryn Mawr »

tabby;1392608 wrote: This was interesting to read, I had no idea that they had become so acclimated to living in urban areas. Clearly the species is very resilient and adaptable and probably deserving of their reputation as highly intelligent. In the woods around where we live, there are red foxes and gray foxes but they rarely show themselves. Probably another smart move!


The last urban fox I had chance to study was walking the streets in the East End of London and obviously lived in the grounds of an office block. Again, it stopped to examine me and decided that I was no danger to it before walking on - both were red foxes which are the indigenous species round here.
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This photograph was taken about a year ago of a cub we called ' Runty'.... He still comes every night. He's one of the one's who cheated and just moved a few feet when ousted by the Alpha's.... He will sit right down In front of you and wait for his food.

My husband has been playing with my Fox pics hence the caption. Click to enlarge.

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At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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Post by tabby »

Found it! It was from December 2010.

Fox penning hits a sensitive nerve in Va. | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Traditional fox hunting is a fairly popular sport among the wealthy "old money" families in northern Virginia. Until I read this article, I had never considered how the fox hounds were trained and it was an eye opener.
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Post by Oscar Namechange »

tabby;1392692 wrote: Found it! It was from December 2010.

Fox penning hits a sensitive nerve in Va. | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Traditional fox hunting is a fairly popular sport among the wealthy "old money" families in northern Virginia. Until I read this article, I had never considered how the fox hounds were trained and it was an eye opener.


I'm afraid Fox hunting Is popular In many countries but thankfully It has been made Illegal here.

The argument that It keeps the numbers down Is complete hogwash. The very short life span of the Fox keeps the numbers down by nature. The moment you kill one Fox by hunting, a newly ousted cub takes over the territory making the entire exercise futile.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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AT LAST !!!..... Well done Channel 4

Post by Oscar Namechange »

There was a brief update last night on Channel 4 prior to Monday nights 2nd programme....

One of the things the programme has done by asking people to log on, Is carry out the biggest national survey Into Urban Foxes our country has ever under-taken.

Now here's the Irony..... Pick up the Daily Mail newspaper and they'll have you believe that Foxes are mutating and developing oppossing thumbs ready to take over the world or some such nonsense along with Foxes roaming around In large packs wearing leather jackets and carrying knives. The words ' Vermin' scream from their pages but then the DM Is pro hunt.....

They announced last night that thousands have contributed to the survey and a massive 85 % of the nation want Urban Foxes and do not see them as Vermin..........



Suck on that Daily Mail
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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Post by Oscar Namechange »

Live Dencams | Foxes Live

The live web cams are working now...... watch the cubs live
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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