I have always thought that there is a cadre of individuals living in London who hate foxes – “they are pests” – and spend a considerable amount of time and energy trying to kill them, most often by poisoning as it is the easiest way except putting down poison is highly dangerous to other wildlife and companion animals.
The Times reports today that dog owners need to be aware of a spate of poisonings in London.
It appears that someone or persons are putting down poisoned chicken to kill foxes in Brompton Cemetery which killed two foxes and and a dog then ate the carcasses and became seriously ill him/herself.
According to the RSPCA there were ten reports of suspected fox poisonings in London last year and 92 over the period 2020 and 2025. My guess is that there were many, many more but simply unreported. Most I would argue are indeed unreported because who is watching out for foxes? Very few. The RSPCA numbers are speculative as post mortems were not conducted as I understand it.
The cruel people who deliberately set out to poison foxes are committing a criminal offence although I doubt that they realise it. They would probably ague that they are doing human society a favour.
I meet a man – an idiot as far as I was concerned – who had lost control of his large hunting dog. His dog had entered my back garden and headed off down a back alley towards my neighbour’s badly overgrown garden where foxes – that I feed – have a den. They’ve been there for many years.
The man knocked on my front door seeking help. I let him into my garden. He said that his dog hunted all the time and he accepted it – “I can’t stop him”. I objected strongly to his lack of responsibility and poor dog caregiving and reminded him of the potential criminality of his actions but his response was that foxes are vermin. God, I hate that idiot.
For me we need to embrace wildlife and nature. We need to live in harmony with wild animals and nature. This is for our wellbeing and the wellbeing of wild animals. But, sadly, the arrogant human often sees things differently.
A lot of ignorant people don’t recognise sentience in wild animals. They are insensitive to animal cruelty. They endorse human domination over animals as per the Bible. They see animals as serving humans rather than living side by side with them which is my preference.
The Times also reports the death of five foxes in the London borough of Haringey in one day in a single ward (zone).
In February, Camden council told residents of Holly Lodge Estate that they should not scatter rat poison in communal areas where other residents had fed foxes. See the madness in these residents putting down poison where other residents are feeding foxes?
Note: please excuse the odd typo due to the speed at which I write these.
