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Foxes on Campus

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  • 26-01-2012 8:34pm
    #1
    bnt
    Registered Users Posts: 13,011 ✭✭✭✭


    Literally, I mean, not figuratively. A huge one walked across the road just in front of me, in broad daylight near Newstead yesterday, and that wasn't the first time. Looked very healthy, totally unconcerned at my presence - like I was just a fellow animal, which I suppose I am. If you see one, just leave it alone: it might not be scared of you, and you don't need to be scared of it, but it's not going to be tame.

    I think it's great to see them getting on OK. Anybody else here enjoyed their own vulpine encounter recently? :cool:

    Death has this much to be said for it:
    You don’t have to get out of bed for it.
    Wherever you happen to be
    They bring it to you—free.

    — Kingsley Amis



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    #2
    seantorious
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭seantorious


    I saw a badger once behind health sciences, literally 2-3 meters away before it strolled into the trees. Foxes live all over south Dublin, their nice animals to see on the street at night.


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    #3
    Pacifist Pigeon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 504 ✭✭✭Pacifist Pigeon


    There are a lot of gingers on campus too, it can be hard to distinguish between the two.


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    #4
    ._.
    Registered Users Posts: 334 ✭✭._.


    I've seen about 3 foxes on campus since september, and countless squirrels.. (I live on campus btw).


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    #5
    Meow_Meow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 171 ✭✭Meow_Meow


    I saw a fox near Glenomena the other night! Didn't realise they'd be this close to the city- really strange!


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    #6
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    There's loads of them around this part of Dublin, freaking loads of them.

    Saw my first non-stuffed badger ever in Booterstown, there's loads of stuff around.

    I also saw a massive rat on my first day in UCD :/


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    #7
    gradlife
    Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭gradlife


    I'm always seeing squirrels on campus!

    They make me happy because they look like sine waves when they run. :)


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    #8
    rambo87
    Registered Users Posts: 112 ✭✭rambo87


    Urban foxes..
    They actually grow way larger becuase of a high protein diet from eating rubbish/ people feeding them.

    Very few song birds in UCD because of the large numbers of foxes and magpies...
    Actually UCD has and ambundance of a few species classified as vermin..
    grey squirrels, foxes and magpies...

    In London theyve started culling foxes due to over-population and attacks on humans...
    Magpies are already being culled around the country and in Dublin as the city has more than any other european city - the problem with them is that they eat the eggs of small birds- hence the decline in their population.

    An Ag-science study done on Gamebirds in co. Meath has indicated that 60% of game birds are killed by Fox preditation... its online somewhere.. makes for very intresting reading!


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    #9
    gradlife
    Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭gradlife


    A wild troll appears!
    Mod uses: Ban
    It is very effective.


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    #10
    Cool Mo D
    Registered Users Posts: 1,419 ✭✭✭Cool Mo D


    There's loads of rabbits on campus too. If you're up in Glenomena early in the morning, you'll see them sitting on the grass.


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    #11
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    rambo87 wrote: »
    Urban foxes..
    They actually grow way larger becuase of a high protein diet from eating rubbish/ people feeding them.

    Very few song birds in UCD because of the large numbers of foxes and magpies...
    Actually UCD has and ambundance of a few species classified as vermin..
    grey squirrels, foxes and magpies...

    In London theyve started culling foxes due to over-population and attacks on humans...
    Magpies are already being culled around the country and in Dublin as the city has more than any other european city - the problem with them is that they eat the eggs of small birds- hence the decline in their population.

    An Ag-science study done on Gamebirds in co. Meath has indicated that 60% of game birds are killed by Fox preditation... its online somewhere.. makes for very intresting reading!

    Link or Source for foxes attacking humans? Id be very very surprised if thats true!

    And UCD has quite a few songbirds too, both in terms of numbers and diversity. We'd probably have more if we had no magpies/crows alright though alright!


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    #12
    HavingCrack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,847 ✭✭✭HavingCrack


    Cool Mo D wrote: »
    There's loads of rabbits on campus too. If you're up in Glenomena early in the morning, you'll see them sitting on the grass.
    Fad wrote: »

    Saw my first non-stuffed badger ever in Booterstown, there's loads of stuff around.

    /

    Rabbits and badgers? :eek: Never seen either of them :confused:


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    #13
    Mycroft H
    Registered Users Posts: 9,313 ✭✭✭Mycroft H


    OpenYourEyes wrote: »
    Link or Source for foxes attacking humans? Id be very very surprised if thats true!

    And UCD has quite a few songbirds too, both in terms of numbers and diversity. We'd probably have more if we had no magpies/crows alright though alright!


    Its was a typical sensationalist story. A year or two ago a fox got into a childs room in london and attacked them. Then the OMG WONT SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN brigade came out with the idea of trapping and killing urban foxes.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/07/fox-attack-twins

    In the wooded areas of UCD you get your typical urban variety of passerine songbirds, you can hear them early in the morning if your around.


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    #14
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    BX 19 wrote: »
    Its was a typical sensationalist story. A year or two ago a fox got into a childs room in london and attacked them. Then the OMG WONT SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN brigade came out with the idea of trapping and killing urban foxes.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/07/fox-attack-twins

    In the wooded areas of UCD you get your typical urban variety of passerine songbirds, you can hear them early in the morning if your around.

    Ah I remember that alright! Pretty sure their story changed a few days later to something along the lines of having seen a fox outside and jumping to conclusions then! But of course that wouldn't have gotten headlines so the tabloids didn't feel the need to mention it! :rolleyes:


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    #15
    munchie14
    Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭munchie14


    never mind the foxes,its the f@ckin merville magpies ya need to keep an eye out for.


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    #16
    bnt
    Registered Users Posts: 13,011 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    munchie14 wrote: »
    never mind the foxes,its the f@ckin merville magpies ya need to keep an eye out for.
    And the magpies need to keep an eye out for ... the foxes. I've seen it out where I live (Milltown): a pile of black-and-white feathers on the grass the next morning: mag-bye-bye. :cool:

    Death has this much to be said for it:
    You don’t have to get out of bed for it.
    Wherever you happen to be
    They bring it to you—free.

    — Kingsley Amis



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    #17
    steddyeddy
    Registered Users Posts: 27,564 ✭✭✭✭steddyeddy


    rambo87 wrote: »
    Urban foxes..
    They actually grow way larger becuase of a high protein diet from eating rubbish/ people feeding them.

    Very few song birds in UCD because of the large numbers of foxes and magpies...
    Actually UCD has and ambundance of a few species classified as vermin..
    grey squirrels, foxes and magpies...

    In London theyve started culling foxes due to over-population and attacks on humans...
    Magpies are already being culled around the country and in Dublin as the city has more than any other european city - the problem with them is that they eat the eggs of small birds- hence the decline in their population.

    An Ag-science study done on Gamebirds in co. Meath has indicated that 60% of game birds are killed by Fox preditation... its online somewhere.. makes for very intresting reading!


    Why does Ireland hate some types of animals so much? Vermin is simply a term applied to certain animals which dont go hand in hand with human interests like agriculture. Ireland in particular has a bed reputation for culling animals.


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    #18
    rambo87
    Registered Users Posts: 112 ✭✭rambo87


    That's actually a very true...
    The explosion in magpie and fox numbers is directly the cause of man...
    They thrive alongside us even in very urban areas...

    Foxes will be drawn in for miles from the smell of a chipper or a Slaughter house..
    They'll find the weakpoints in the fences and the rubbish bins left an inch open.

    It's morally questionable, we cause their numbers to grow so high and then we have to kill them off when they come into conflict. The balance of nature is a very delicate thing...


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    #19
    rambo87
    Registered Users Posts: 112 ✭✭rambo87


    Cool Mo D wrote: »
    There's loads of rabbits on campus too. If you're up in Glenomena early in the morning, you'll see them sitting on the grass.
    Never knew that thanks!!

    That might explain the large amount of foxes..
    unbelievable.. Theyre probably still all there from when Belfield was an estate!


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    #20
    HavingCrack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,847 ✭✭✭HavingCrack


    Am I the only one who's noticed that foxes are a lot, lot more widespread (or appear to be ) in south Dublin rather than the north? Is it because it's close to the mountains or something :confused:


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    #21
    steddyeddy
    Registered Users Posts: 27,564 ✭✭✭✭steddyeddy


    HavingCrack wrote: »
    Am I the only one who's noticed that foxes are a lot, lot more widespread (or appear to be ) in south Dublin rather than the north? Is it because it's close to the mountains or something :confused:

    As one publication puts it "its due to kind hearted dubliners feeding them".


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