Lack of sleep in ED (fox noises again)

[Miss P]

The local foxes are driving me to despair. They wake me up almost every night with their territorial screeching and last night I think they set off a car alarm at 1am, which was nice. (I am making this assumption based on the fact that my own car has large paw prints and slight scratches on the roof, which I believe were left by foxes). Town foxes are a nuisance.

I'm putting this on a separate thread to the one relating to the recent attacks as I don't believe that in general, foxes are dangerous, but I think that there are too many of them in urban areas now. I'm not demeaning the attack that took place recently involving the twins, I'm sure it was absolutely terrifying & I was very pleased to hear that they are both doing ok.

Are there too many foxes on our streets at night? Should there be a cull before people try and take it into their own hands?

[tiger ranks]

here here i hate the things bring back fox hunting

[markyb3]

I'd say the helicopters beat the foxes ...

[felt-tip]

I was woken at 4.30am and couldnt get back to sleep. Caught up on a few odd-jobs though first thing - including a chat with a mate in Sydney.. every cloud and all that

[Louisa]

Maybe if the animals had not been so seriously controlled in the countryside, they would not have to migrate to the cities for food and sanctuary. I personally think that it is the responsibiliy of humanity that we find ourselves in this situation where these animals are now a nuisance in the city. Mind you, I can think of plenty of people who are a nuisance at night around here, and unlike the animal, they do know differently!

Louisa.

[duchessofdulwich]

theres always ear plugs?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Foxes don't HAVE to do anything because of the countryside - they live in the cities because people throw food away by the tonne. Easy living for them. That's all

Not bothered about the noise (gruesome as it is) but yeah they probably are getting too numerous. I wouldn't object to a cull

[bonniebird]

No, there should not be a cull. If I were in charge, so to speak, I would have them neutered so they can't over populate, the average life span of a town fox used to be 18 months old, I feel neutering would help, some foxes are taken to fox rescue places if they are sick or whatever, couldn't they be neutered then released? They used to snip the end of feral cats ears off so they could identify wether they were neutered or not. Don't know where the money would come from, haven't thought that far ahead;-)

[trentk69]

Yes, there are far too many foxes in ED now - very easy food sources keep them here, and completely overgrown gardens like my neighbours gives them a very comfortable place to live. They are a noisy, disease ridden nuisance.

This has got nothing to do with pest control in the country.

Yes, there needs to be a cull for sure. Sooner, rather than later in my opinion.

[Louisa]

Sean, foxes first came to the cities in large numbers due to a number of factors, food waste being one of them. But to be honest people annoy me when they create these problems, and make out the fox to be the villan of the piece. An animal follows it's instinct, and for many years they remained almost an exclusive sight in rural areas and the outer suburbs. People who are careless and encourage animals by disposing of food waste in an innappropriate manner have contributed significantly to this problem, and if anything they should be the brunt of any cull, alongside the people who selfishly make lots of noise in the street at night with a complete disregard for others.

Louisa.

[Miss P]

Yes, culling people rather than foxes should sort the problem right out.....

I have been woken at least 4 times a week by the foxes. Drunk/noisy people about twice in the last month. I think there needs to be a humane solution - it can't be good for the foxes to be so numerous. I agree that people need to dispose of food correctly, but to be honest, there isn't a lot of food littering the streets around North Cross other than after the market.

I have tried ear plugs, but prolonged use actually is painful & not very good for you. (As I discovered on a 5 day trip to New York.......)

[jimmy two times]

Culling!!!! I love foxes. I went to the Basil Brush show when I was a kid. Basil and Harry H Corbett.....Or was that Sooty and sweep?

Can we cull cyclists instead? They're the b*stards that keep me awake at night.

[Louisa]

And cyclists dont pay road tax either, and theyre more than happy to stick a finger up at us poor drivers! A cull would go a long way in helping to relieve the stress of the morning commuter traffic :D

Louisa.

[cmck83]

How do cyclists keep you awake at night? Do cop on.

[duchessofdulwich]

i think foxes are like marmite either love them or hate them

[aquarius moon]

I love foxes!

But then, I love all animals, including pigeons, green parakeets, mice & rats, which many people on here seem to have a problem with.

They are not vermin, but living creatures, who have a right to live here, the same as anybody else.

So please stop talking about culling/killing, and leave them all in peace!

[Stat Man]

Don't cull foxes! Noise waking you up at night, eventually you'll sleep through it, its their natural habitat and it is inhumane to even consider culling them!

[Miss P]

Aquarius Moon, I'd leave them in peace if they left me in peace! Once you've had kids, you tend not to sleep through very much at all & I don't agree that SE22 is their natural habitat. I'm not saying that we should kill the lot of them, I'm just saying that perhaps we need to manage their numbers sensibly.

[Louisa]

Listen everyone, half the posh folk around here wont be happy until ED has it's own fox hunt chasing through the streets! Most of them are from home counties stock anyhow!

Louisa.

[katie1997]

I found the noise of the foxes really noticeable and quite alarming when I first moved here but think I have now become used to it.

Other noises in this area that can disturb sleep are helicopters (really), birdsong (love this though) , aircraft noise at about 5am (actually, I didn't notice that until after reading about it on here tbh).

[Miss P]

I'm not asking for a hunt. I don't really understand why this is being turned into a class issue - that really wasn't my intention. I would just like to be able to sleep through the night - are you being disturbed, Louisa?

[spark67]

I wss sitting in my garden last night when what i thought wss a large cat came belting passed being pursued by my cat at speed, it was then i noticed it was a fox she was chasing, it stopped when it saw me turned to face my cat who promptly smacked it around its foxy chops with her paw, it yelped and fled. Thinking i could hire her out as some sort of fox "bouncer"

[felt-tip]

SE22 would be the foxes' natural habitat if humans hadnt built loads of houses here. We are invading their world - not them ours.

[computedshorty]

My goldfish keeps me awake at night cant stand that swishing and those bubbles bursting, anyone willing to take on my Goldie, if only for just one night! Must have cat to guard her. You cen borrow mine, she costs a fortune to feed eats anything even Pigs ears.

[Louisa]

Miss P Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm not asking for a hunt. I don't really

> understand why this is being turned into a class

> issue - that really wasn't my intention. I would

> just like to be able to sleep through the night -

> are you being disturbed, Louisa?

Miss P, You misunderstand me, I am never one to knowingly turn something into a class issue! :)

I am often disturbed at night, either by loud drunks or yobs walking around in gangs shouting the odds outside. But I suppose it is part and parcel of living in a populated area. If these animals were in their natural environment they would not live so close to humans and therefore we wouldnt have to hear them!

Louisa.