Pet owners warned after outbreak of “distressing” fox deaths from poisoning

A fox cub and a male dog fox both died in Southsea earlier this month after they were found in Clarence Road and Wainscott Road. 

It follows a “distressing” death in Park Road, Gosport, on March 20. A poster put up by a resident after the death, said: “The distressing death of a female fox by poisoning was witnessed in Park Road on Wednesday March 20. Authorities (have been) notified of the illegal act. Pet owners be aware.”

Two other foxes are believed to have died from poisoning less than a mile from the Park Road incident, while a further report of poisoning has also surfaced in Waterlooville. Foxes can travel up to five miles at night so the poisonings might not have taken place in those precise locations.

Second Chance Fox Rescue and Rehabilitation has urged people not to put down poison as it seeks to change perceptions over the “beautiful red fox”. A social media post from the organisation, which has reported the incidents to authorities, said: “Not only are foxes affected by human poisoning - think about domestic cats and dogs consuming it? Not to mention countless other wild animals.

“There are so many other ways to ‘get rid of them’ from your garden if you deem them as problematic for whatever reason. Please reach out for humane deterrence links and advice.

“I would rather help people prevent the foxes nesting in anti-fox people’s gardens than see quite as many abandoned fox cubs, orphaned from spiteful poison. We’re very realistic and whilst we are biased we do understand that not everyone adores foxes quite as much as we do. There are just so many other humane ways to do it.”

Speaking of the “distressing” death in Park Road, a campaigner for the group added: “She was a lactating vixen so we had to track down her cubs. We have 15 cubs at the moment all abandoned by their mum. One who actually has no eyes can you believe?

“We also have two cubs with a mum fox who was meant to be removed by pest control for being too friendly at a local Gosport business site. We trapped her and four others, and then she gave birth at the centre. She’s almost due to be soft released now with her beautiful babies.”

For more information go to Second Chance Fox Rescue and Rehabilitation’s Facebook page here.