Foxes Roaming Around the Suburbs

Galvasean

Michael Collins wrote: »

They probably burrowed in, you know foxes.

I've never known foxes to make burrows several miles long.

RandolphEsq

Foxes are terrified of people. I will admit though that the 2 stories I heard involved cats.
1-My friend was walking through his estate and saw a fox chase and kill a cat.
2-A neighbour's cat was found in the garden half eaten.

I suppose it could be different for dogs that foxes wouldn't touch them but my dog is a King Charles, not exactly rough dogs

amcalester

BrightEyes wrote: »

Foxes are terrified of people. I will admit though that the 2 stories I heard involved cats.
1-My friend was walking through his estate and saw a fox chase and kill a cat.
2-A neighbour's cat was found in the garden half eaten.

I suppose it could be different for dogs that foxes wouldn't touch them but my dog is a King Charles, not exactly rough dogs

I have a King Charles as well and he chased a fox dont the street 1 day, fox didnt want anything to do with him. Foxes are surprisingly small and will run away from most dogs.

Galvasean

Foxes tend to run away from terriers and they're smaller than king charles.

lightening

BrightEyes wrote: »

I will admit though that the 2 stories I heard involved cats.

I wouldn't be too worried. Ferrel cats are a scourge, they are the biggest destroyer of native Irish rural and urban wildlife. They are also the reason some urban foxes have mange.

I have seen a fox and a cat eat out of the same bowl on one of the numerous occasions I have seen the two animals together. The cat killings sound very urban mythish if you ask me.:) I would sit back and count yourself lucky you get to see native Irish wildlife.

Táck

a taxi driver* told me before he'd seen them in town, city centre, at night time, early morning rooting thru the bins. i presume they come from stephens green area, i just cant envisage foxes on o'connell street



*spoofers usually

Goodshape

I used to see a fox roaming around the bottom of Baggot Street regularly enough.

Lemming

I've come home late at night (Ballinteer, Dublin) and found a fox roaming the estate and wandering in and out of gardens; I'm guessing to raid bins and scavenge. The first sign of another living thing and it'll run for the hills.

It's great to see wildlife I wouldn't otherwise see.

Táck

agreed,

the boss of me

Michael Collins wrote: »

They probably burrowed in, you know foxes.

Not these guys these are modern uber foxes with evil in their minds and modern technology at their disposal...

MySelf56

When I am living in Dundrum they are regular sight. One could easily imagine where they came from, Dublin hills of course. As some body pointed out wheely bins, What really astonishes me there will be guarantee of sighting on bin day. How they know its Bin day. I hardly know what day it is, if some body ask me by waking me up in the middle of night? They are quite shy though I try take picture it ran away.

Now living Nothside I never seen them until two weeks near my home Griffith Avenue. I dont mind those scavengers here and there..

lightening

MySelf56 wrote: »

One could easily imagine where they came from, Dublin hills of course.

I think its the other way round! We are encroaching on their turf! They were around a long time before Dublin started to expand and expand. Luckily they are adapting really well along with the peregrine falcons, kestrels, badgers and many other species in the city.

I live about 6K from the city and see bats, seals, foxes, hawks, faclons, badgers and the odd red squirrel among hundreds of other Dublin wildlife treats.

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

City foxes are not near as common now as they were years ago due to the introduction of wheelie bins.

MySelf56 wrote: »

As some body pointed out wheely bins, What really astonishes me there will be guarantee of sighting on bin day

What I was saying earlier was that they were much more common before the introduction of wheelie bins. They found it easier to access the older type of bin as they were shorter and easier to get into or overturn. It's practical impossible for most animals to gain access to a wheelie bin.

Bin day is irrelevant as foxes would search through bins at the rear of houses where the bin is stored and in daily use. They didn't need to wait for collection time.

macadam

Contact the lads in the shooting section they will sort them out ..lol:D

Táck

i heard years ago if you brought a fox's tail to the garda you got fifty pound

they should renew that with rats

Wishbone Ash

Táck wrote: »

i heard years ago if you brought a fox's tail to the garda you got fifty pound

It was more like £1 or a few shillings (which was reasonable at the time).

When I was a child, a neighbour of ours was a Garda sergeant. I recall my father bringing me into his garage to see about a doxen shot foxes thrown on the floor. I was facinated by them especially as they all had their tongues hanging out. I recall my father saying something about him paying people to shoot them. (I don't know why he had them in his garage though. )

GrahamThomas

Lightening, they are great photos.

As for foxes being spotted in the city centre, I think I heard before that the Grand Canal acts as kind of a wildlife corridor for animals, and most of the locations named in this thread where foxes were spotted are pretty close to the canal, so perhaps thats how they ended up in town? Just a thought!

I live out near Foxrock, and it certainly lives up to it's name . Often see them when I'm walking home from the luas at night.

arse..biscuits

Most of my sightings have been when I'm drunk stumbling around at 4am out in my native Tallaght. I live in the city now and haven't seen any but have been told that one lives under a 40 foot container next to me on Bridgefoot street.

Victor

The reason you see them on bin day is that not everyone is careful with their bins. you are only seeing them because (a) the bins have been disturbed and possibly topped up (b) the bins are in view on the foot path.

DennisSabre wrote: »

I've seen foxes just inside the railings beside the Luas stop on St. Stephen's Green and also in Iveagh Gardens just off Harcourt St.

I spotted a squirrel eating a square of chocolate in Iveagh Gardens one afternoon and mentioned it to the warden. He said there was foxes in the Gardens that regularly commute down to St. Stephens Green to have a feed of duckling.

macadam wrote: »

Contact the lads in the shooting section they will sort them out ..lol:D

Firing a weapon within 10m of a public road is an offence.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Victor wrote: »

Firing a weapon within 10m of a public road is an offence.

Looks like a job for the artillery boys then :pac:

Victor

I spotted one at Rathmines Church at about 6am today, trying madly to not get hit by the number 74.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Year's ago, before the IFSC was built and I was living in Sheriff St I'd spend literally hours looking at all sorts of wildlife (including rabbits and foxes) in the old railway yards off the bridge.

Sadly development has pushed it all alway.

WindSock

Zillah wrote: »

You want to exterminate foxes because you have an irrational fear they'll attack your dog?

Where did you get your username, OP? Was it from Watership down? You'll be on at the rabbits next.

lightening

Mairt wrote: »

Year's ago, before the IFSC was built and I was living in Sheriff St I'd spend literally hours looking at all sorts of wildlife (including rabbits and foxes) in the old railway yards off the bridge.

Sadly development has pushed it all alway.

Jaysus, I moved there in 92! Just as the flats were coming down... You made a good point though, railways and the dart line are major thoroughfares for Dublins wildlife along with the Tolka, the Nanakin, the Dodder and the canals. You would be surprised Mairt, still a huge amount of wildlife knocking around. I saw a peregrine falcon in Temple Bar last year!

tribulus

I've seen them several times in D13 in a square. I don't know where they come from as there's no large fields or woods nearby. They like leftover curry chips!

shrapnel222

although lovely creatures, they can be dangerous to small children and pets. i remember a story in the UK, when one summer, this family had left their patio door open, their baby was playing in the living room. when the guy came in to check on the baby, a fox was in the living room with the baby's arm in its jaw.

on a side note, i was up north for a weekend a few weeks ago. we were staying in a nice hotel near newcastle, it was a nice day and we were chilling in the garden, my 10 month old was crawling around on the grass, when from nowhere a fox appeared and did a b line for my boy. i tell you my heart was in my mouth, as i ran for him before the fox got there, but suddenly out of nowhere the owners dog came running into the garden and chased the fox away. all that to say, as lovely as they may be, anything smaller than them is a potential meal for them.

we've also got one who comes through our garden from time to time.

arybvtcw0eolkf

lightening wrote: »

Jaysus, I moved there in 92! Just as the flats were coming down...

Thats gas, I moved out in '92. On a side note, when I proposed moving out, my wife who'd grown up in Sheriff St. thought moving out here was like moving out to the country side and thought she'd never see her family or friends again, lol.. Such a small world we lived in!.

I was thinking about this thread earlier, and I view the 'nature & wildlife' thread too and got to thinking..

This wildlife is still with us, maybe we're all just moving too fast to stop and enjoy it for awhile.

And with that, I'm taking my daughter and the mutts to the beach, and maybe Howth harbour for a walk.. Poor daughter cried off school with an imaginary headache

lightening

Mairt wrote: »

This wildlife is still with us, maybe we're all just moving too fast to stop and enjoy it for awhile.

Yeah, deffo, its still there alright, but things are different now, work, commutes, rush, rush, rush. I have taken time out lately just to pay attention. Its amazing what you see when you look up!!

The fox attacking baby thing sounds a bit far fetched. Never heard of that happening.

shrapnel222

why would it seem far fetched that an omnivorous wild animal may consider a small baby a source of food or just a play thing?

in any event: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2078419.stm

lightening

shrapnel222 wrote: »

why would it seem far fetched that an omnivorous wild animal may consider a small baby a source of food or just a play thing?

in any event: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2078419.stm

Just seems far fetched, that's all. Thanks for the link. That's a strange article! Seems like the couples story is doubtful or something! It almost makes out that they are lying! Weird.

From the expert...

"I would not consider this an attack at all. That indicates something vicious and wild and ferocious."