Is The Urban Fox Changing Its Breeding Season?

  I have written before (on the blog) about fox breeding season and how I have noted cubs born later or earlier than is considered normal. We have to realise that all of the information we have comes originally from country hunts. They needed to know when cubs were born and where foxes lived to make it easier for them to hunt and kill them.

In the countryside foxes tend to get shot, snared or poisoned as well as hunted. There is a false date given for when foxes moved into urban areas 1930s Edinburgh. Utter nonsense of course since the Cur fox before extinction lived near suburbs and human habitat. They were replaced by the red fox.

Climate change has been at work. Humans more friendly to foxes have been at work. Up to around 2000 there were no large number of feeders. From 2000 on and from internet influence the feeders have become a problem to an extent with overfeeding when towns and cities are full of the fox's natural food source -rats and mice. In suburbs rabbits can be found and are also taken as prey.

The urban fox is not like the country fox which is rapidly disappearing. Town foxes get good shelter, good weather and water sources as well as extra food -often what is left out for hedgehogs or cats is an easy snack. This may well be changing fox breeding seasons; in the past it was waiting until food sources were there to feed cubs on. That problem is gone.

I was sent this photo today (14 09 2026) of a vixen looking pregnant. I am told of a similar instance in another part of Bristol. Before these two reports I was told by someone that a vixen living on their property looked "quite pregnant".

The  vixen above and the other one will have an eye kept on them. The third vixen the person does not want location known or to give out further information she just wanted to know if there was anything extra she could do to help the fox.

It could well be that urban foxes are changing habits and it is something I have been noting for a few years but, ridiculously, I seem to be the only naturalist in Europe doing this fox work but there must be others?

I will keep an eye on the situation and continue making notes but it is important that rescues and wildlife hospitals are aware of the changes.

I Did Everything I Could But In The End No Support =Failure

  I've had three requests for help to try to stop construction work on green sites.

No.

I made my position clear: for 10 years I have been telling or suggesting that Bristol groups out to save green spaces unite as it makes it harder for the Council to approve development. The Longmoor site I asked the Save Ashton Vales Environment group to help highlight the wildlife and environment but their only concern was what it would all mean for their house prices.

I got stick for being too negative but what has happened? They've sneaked in and started construction on sites which means it is far too late to do anything.

I mentioned the grabbing of green sites to Avon Wildlife Trust ("we work with Bristol City Council", Friends of the Earth and other supposed environmental/save the countryside groups at the Wild Summit. Absolutely no interest what so ever. Just disinterest.

Badger setts at risk I'll look into but that's my unpaid job. Saving green spaces when l;ocals cannot be bothered....someone else's job.

On with the wildlife work.

Two NEW Publications: A Genuine British "Big Cat"-The Irish Wild Cat: Fact or Fiction?

 

 

A4

12pp

Colour/b&w

£12

https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/the-case-for-a-genuine-british-big-cat/paperback/product-yvq8k8n.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

Terry Hooper-Scharf was the eotic wildlife consultant for UK police forces from 1977-2018 and when reports of “big cat” kills or evidence were received he evaluated the evidence.

In a high number of cases where a “puma” was reported the animals’ size did not match up even if facial markings were noted.

Other reports of panthers (black leopards) and black pumas  were also problematical and not explained as “baby big cats”. His interest in these reports resulted in police wildlife officers calling them “Hooper Cats”.

Video evidence was then received from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the police and  local wildlife enthusiasts. Everything matched up to some “black big cat” reports and once the basic information was gathered a good general description was of a black cat, leggy and the size of a whippet dog.

 There is no doubt that these were large cats but far from escapee exotics from private collections.

This paper presents the facts behind the Hooper Cats and what could well be called a genuine British ‘big’ cat.

 

A4

15pp

Colour/b&w

£12

 

https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/irish-wild-cat-fact-or-fiction/paperback/product-kv4wjyq.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

Ever since the 18th century many noted naturalists and zoologists have argued for and against the existence of a wild cat species is Ireland (Northern Ireland and Eire). At times the debate in publications became quite heated  to the point of name-calling.

Starting in the late 1970s Terry Hooper-Scharf looked at the archival mentions of such animals in both Irish myth and legend as well as observations by naturalists and reports they collected.

Based on the historical record there was no doubt that an Irish wild cat was no myth but it did not appear to be related to the English, Welsh or Scottish wild cats (distinguished from the accepted European wild cat hybrids of today).  There is no doubt that the latter cats were observed in Ireland up until the 1970s and as with others around the UK were likely imported for hunting.

The big clue lay in an Irish museum as noted in 2021 and in 2026 it is confirmed that remains of a wild cat have been found in an Irish cave dating back 5,500 years and so confirming the Author’s own research.

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Wild Summit 2026 -I was Not Impressed

 

I need to apologise to Bristol Fox Lady/Bristol Wildlife Rescue Sarah Millsfor dragging her to the so called Wild Summit. I printed out a small fortune (in ink) flyers and info packs to hand out.

Avon Wildlife Trust ("We work through Bristol City Council") were not interested in the fox and badger data. In fact, no one was interested in mammals whether otters, badgers, foxes (plenty of fox photos used though) or even hedgehogs. Bees, butterflies, wild flowers, water purity and conservation nd that was it.

Fella from the Badger Trust talking about setting up a Bristol Badger Group (8 times right next to me) so I jumped in every time and pointed out that I have run BBG since 1994/1995 but he kept it up and told me to my face he had heard of my fox work but not badger work. How good is the Badger Trust when they have had emails etc off me for 30 years and been told repeatedly over the last year there was a BBG? Kept trying to talk over me every time I was amking points based on years of research and work. Nope. Well not be cooperating wityh him or BT.

So making the countryside wild friendly but no one interested in wildlife crossings/tunnels.

Basically it was badly organised and had I paid £240 for a ticket there would have been trouble.

Oh West England .Wildlife Index was not that good. Their data was a mess they noted bird decline (mentioned 8 times as frightening) no idea about mammal decline or fish decline and then they told us how their data was basically not worth much as it needed another 5 years. I think Sarah probably heard my loud grunt as the woman in charge stated "We get data from naturalists but take it with a grain of salt" Talk about insulting the dying breed of people who go out getting the real data and muddied boots. I stopped myself from standing and walking out. I did feel sorry for one of the volunteers who stepped up to exp-lain the work she had been doing but got four heckles of "stand closer to the microphone" and she was nervous enough.

The RSPCA Senior scientific advisor stodd up and I just waited for her to say the great job the RSPCA does for wildlife but in the few minutes she spoke all I learnt was her field of work was tigers. Yes, foxes and badgers and British wildlife are silly so concentrate on ovrseas wildlife (which I am told the RSPCA is doing?!)

The ex copper who said we need better organisation, etc and some forces had no wildlife crime officer well...back into the early 2000s there were plenty of good PWLOs and senior officers were involved. Now we have a situations wth four wildlife crimes in the Bristol area (including a snared otter) and a fox torn up by a dog under the command of its owner and....nothing. We had three foxes found in one day on an allotment and the Wildlife officer visited the site and made notes and was offered the foxes to take (THAT should be standard) but he would not even go and look at the foxes and his notes ("intelligence") was it. THREE suspicious death foxes and the copper would not even look at them. Interestingly a PCSO did a better job and bagged up two foxes and a cat in a suspicious death case and submitted them for post mortems. Obviously the part time policeman had a better grasp of the job than the full time professional.

At times with 'quizzes", stickers, big sheets of paper and colour pens I felt I was back at Glenfrome Road nursery school.

Radio talks the event up well but there was NOTHING to the event just "We need to jolly well show the government by sending in a petition".

I do not likke rudeness or bad manners but that was also very evident at the event.

Basically an online petition appears to have been what was needed for most talks. That a great deal of the information was old -I have sources saying the same f thing from the 1980s and that was built on from 1970s work,

Field or any type of naturalist did not seem to be present. After a remark that anything from a naturalist was taken "with a pinch of salt" that was lucky.

I left thinking that I had lost two hours or so of my rapidly decling life anjd that working by myself seems the best way to go.

I was lucky that Sarah Mills was present as even she commented "Nothing on mammals? Not even hedgehogs!"

Maybe I should have had a table there to push mammals?

"Sentinel markers for ecosystem contamination"

 

 In the past fox post mortems have revealed plastic packaging in the stomachs of foxes which resulted in their deaths. We have been noting things that could point to a problem in the ecosystem and I was just informed of the latest PM result:

"Severe chronic renal histopathology confirmed but I’m uncertain of the case. Possibly the pathology might suggest and infarct but again any cause of this is uncertain. Summary: Severe chronic renal pathology of uncertain cause. "

In case you are wondering what the mplications are: Chronic exposure to environmental pollutants is associated with renal damage, potentially affecting longevity and health of wild fox populations. This is a sentinel marker for ecosystem contamination and really should not be ignored but, as I have said over the last five decades, no one is interested "just foxes".

It's sad that back in July I noted 182 foxes had been reported dead. The current figure two months later is 230

Fox Facial Injury Treatment

  The old rule under certain "rescue" was a fox with a facial injury HAD to be put down. Most vets would agree.

However, things in Bristol have changed. Likely an injury from a car swipe on the nearby busy road the fox was treated for around 9 weeks given pain relief and anti biotics. All treated in situ by Sarah Mills.

With a falling fox population at least this one now has a good chance.

above during treatment

Above after treatment