Lack of sleep in ED (fox noises again)

[DaveR]

"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, 12.14am

"I am never one to knowingly turn something into a class issue!" - Louisa, 11.30am

All that noise from yobbos has obviously left you in a confused state - time for a lie down?

[Michael Palaeologus]

markyb3 Wrote:

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

If we are playing "Urban Noise" Top Trumps - what about the prat who thunders about on the super-noisy moped?

Eh?

[first mate]

Anywhere a fox can survive can be considered its "natural" habitat. Like humans they are opportunists, highly adaptable to a range of environments. Yes, they can make a huge racket but think what humans inflict on the rest of wildlife with our fireworks,etc.. Think neutering better than culling but more expensive in short term.

Wanted to add that Reynard also helps keep local mouse and rat population down.

[SeanMacGabhann]

What options are available for neutering? (genuinely interested as I can't see how that's possible)

I'm not suggesting a cull for any noise related reasons btw. The noise they make doesn't bother me. But any vermin which gets above a certain level constitutes a problem. I'm not even saying we are at that level where we need a cull yet

But there aren't a bazillion mice-related threads on here discussing how people and mice can co-exist. Have you ever seen anywhere overrun with vermin??

[tallulah71]

Someone who once lived in the home counties, and used to fox-hunt told me that the noise you hear is the female screaming in agony during mating, as the male bits and bobs are barbed. (Nature's way of making sure she doesn't run away in case she doesn't fancy him I suppose). I'm sure I saw something vaguely similar in Ann Summers once. (Hey, that's not a shop you'll see opening in Northcross Road anytime soon eh? You can just hear the shrieks of disapproval...)

Anyway, apart from their shit which reallystinks, and for some reason attracts my dog to roll around luxuriating in it, I think they're lovely. We gotta live side by side. Man...

[katie1997]

Michael Palaeologus Wrote:

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> If we are playing "Urban Noise" Top Trumps - what

> about the prat who thunders about on the

> super-noisy moped?

>

> Eh?

Raise you the lady who treats us to the very loud blare of crap tuuuuuuunes for at least 10 minutes once she has worked out how to park and turn the engine off. Doesn't matter how early or late this is (for added bonus points).

[tallulah71]

Oh you've heard me then....

[Michael Palaeologus]

.. and me - or similar.

Thankfully the cab drivers have stopped parking under my bedroom window at 4am and having shouty conversations with each other.

[ruffers]

The clickety-click of computer keyboards when there's a helicopter wakes me up.

[bonniebird]

There are quite a few fox rescue places around, I just thought that all the foxes that are bought in injured could be neutered before they are released? I know it will cost money as these are charities, but it may be doable, I too like animals, all animals, but I would rather see them neutered than culled.

[Monkmeybum]

Yes bring back fox hunting it will get rid of that one pesky fox in a hundred and make the rich very proud!

[tallulah71]

Here here Monkmeybum. (I though you said monkeybum at first. Not sure which is weirder!!) Love it!

[WickedStepmother]

Some years back Australia and/or New Zealand were planning to test out a system of laying baits laced with an extended release oral contraceptive as a way of controlling their feral fox population. I left the veterinary publishing field before finding out how that panned out. If they managed to make it work, it would seem a fairly humane option.

[genwilliams]

Interesting idea.

Personally I've no problem with the foxes. I'm not woken by them, and have no kids, or garden pets to worry about, so I appreciate it's different for some people; I do feel that foxes will go where the food is, though, so if one can be careful about disposing of rubbish, it discourages them.

My mother's a firm fan of them, mind, and tends to put food out in the back garden. My family have always thought of them as rathre beautiful and mostly benign creatures when you see them in an urban setting.

[Sue]

I also really love them.

At one point in the Winter I had two sleeping side by side in my (very small) garden, it was really sweet watching them from the kitchen window :)

They were quite young, and I assume they were siblings.

[The Minkey]

I've had to wear earplugs every night for over a year due to noisy tenants next door. I recommend the wax plugs - get them really soft before inserting and you should be OK.

I don't mind the foxes, yes they disturb me sometimes but at least they don't wake me up at 6am almost every morning. If people were more discerning when disposing of their food waste, there simply wouldn't be the food supply to support the number of foxes and numbers would quite naturally reduce.

[tarafitness]

I used to get woken up a lot by them in Herne Hill but haven't noticed as many on our road (Worlingham)... not sure if that has something to do with the huge amount of cats there are around, hopefully they do the trick in scaring them off!

They used to sit in the middle of our road in HH and yell at each other, nothing to do with mating, I think it was the young calling their mothers... odd noises, guess it's cause they can't bark!

Definitely more than there used to be but that's because of more food waste and the fact that they have no natural predators (except cars!) and as for them being in their 'natural environment' - well, they're called the 'Urban Fox' for a reason huh?

I think they're gorgeous things, just wish they didn't make such a racket!! :-)

[ayresc]

I'm amazed at any sense of tolerance with these little buggers. They don't belong in the city as they don't play an activ part in the food chain, where as in the countryside they'll no doubt have a fair share of rabbits.

They spread disease and why people feed them is beyond me.

We're calling southwark pest control and if they do anything we'll someone licensed to dispose of them.

[Penguin68]

They don't belong in the city as they don't play an activ part in the food chain, where as in the countryside they'll no doubt have a fair share of rabbits

Foxes do eat worms, but also rodents - it is said that if you have foxes living in your garden you won't also have rats nearbye - which I would consider somewhat of a bonus. They do spread disease, mainly to each other, it must be said - I have heard no evidence of foxes generally spreading disease to humans.

I find birds far more wearisome as to noise, they scream their heads off from first light and even before - many, for instance the corvids, have most unnatractive calls - why don't you want these gone as well? - cities are obviously only for people - nasty wildlife should all be exterminated, they all carry disease, or are noisy, are otherwise irksome.

Personally, I find the fact that comparatively large mammals such as foxes can be wandering about the streets rather heart-warming. Their noise at night I find disturbing only because the screams when first heard sound too human, as soon as I have identified it as foxes I can happily relax. And, unlike human created night noises (shouting, loud music, fireworks) I don't get angry about the foxes being thoughtless and selfish, since they're not. People should know better, foxes shoudn't.

[Louisa]

Penguin68 Wrote:

> And, unlike human created night noises (shouting,

> loud music, fireworks) I don't get angry about the

> foxes being thoughtless and selfish, since they're

> not. People should know better, foxes shoudn't.

Good Point.

Louisa.

[genwilliams]

I find it really sad that so many people feel they can't co-exist with the creatures alongside us. I don't see that foxes (or squirrels, or pigeons, or most other animals that get routinely complained about) do us any real detriment - certainly nothing to compare to the damage humans do, even in their local environment (let's start with car pollution, litter, drug waste, graffiti & vandalism, various crap chucked into local water that affects the birds & fish, and food left out that actually encourages the animals complained about here, plus of course the rats). These animals are beautiful, and make our environment more interesting. A little more tolerance and perspective wouldn't go amiss.

London would be a sadder place without its wildlife.

Long live the foxes.

[davidh]

dogs, foxes, I really do think almost everything on four legs (cats fpor shure) should be exterminated to save the angst of east dulwich pontificators

[bonniebird]

penguin68 (tu)

[aquarius moon]

ayresc Wrote:

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> I'm amazed at any sense of tolerance with these

> little buggers. They don't belong in the city as

> they don't play an activ part in the food chain,

> where as in the countryside they'll no doubt have

> a fair share of rabbits.

>

> They spread disease and why people feed them is

> beyond me.

>

> We're calling southwark pest control and if they

> do anything we'll someone licensed to dispose of

> them.

Maybe you should learn some tolerance. They have just as much right to live here as you or me so what gives you the right to decide who, or what needs to be disposed of?

[ayresc]

I'm from a farming family so maybe the wrong place to have the debate!

I love animals to bits but these guys are real pests, they don't eat worms or rats, just look at the rubbish they've got to feed on.

Maintaining balance in any environment is fairly critical but in London we're really exposed to it a whole load. Sure someone in the council is trying to sort it and no doubt the intro of wheelie bins has helped.