Ukrainian border guards adopt fox that regularly sneaks into their shelter (video)

"Ukrainian border guards fighting the Russians on the front line have adopted a young female fox cub after it sneaked into their shelter. The inquisitive animal has since become a frequent visitor as the soldiers care for and feed her. The heart-warming relationship was captured in footage from October 10." - Yahoo News.

For me, this is unsurprising. This is a fox that has become habituated to humans, in this case Ukrainian soldiers, and it didn't take long for the fox to understand that they can get some food from the soldiers who were willing to give it to them. It's a nice symbiotic relationship with both the soldiers and the fox benefiting. Of course, my mind must be drawn to the fighting. The soldiers I presume are vulnerable to being harmed in this fighting and therefore the fox is also vulnerable to being injured. I don't think that we can remove that thought from the discussion. That said, this is a really sweet video because both human and fox are enjoying each other's company until things might go horribly wrong.

⚡ Soldiers of the State Border Guard Service have befriended a wild fox.

Initially drawn to their dugout by the smell of food, the fox has now become a regular visitor.pic.twitter.com/FJNWf9BJhi

— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) October 10, 2024

Video screenshot.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Snares are still legal in the UK and they are "antiquated and cruel"

Chris Packham describes snares as "antiquated, cruel and hideous". They are still legal in the UK and the Countryside Alliance say that they are useful in wildlife conservation. Packham says that snared animals "die of starvation, they die of dehydration, they die in excruciating pain, often they break their limbs". The Countryside Alliance insists that they should stay as part of the management of the countryside in the UK.

Snares are still legal in the UK and they are "antiquated and cruel". Photo in public domain.

The Countryside Alliance, in a statement, said: "Snares benefit conservation and a range of economic activities from shooting and agriculture to forestry and eco-tourism. There is often no practical and effective replacement for snaring at crucial times of the year to protect livestock and wildlife, particularly during spring and summer. Well-designed snares, used properly, are a humane and effective form of fox control."

An Animal Aid petition supported by Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan is online presently. Mr Egan said: "The snares are just absolutely horrible and they are indiscriminate. Whether it be a fox or any animal that gets caught in it, often domestic companion animals. It's so cruel."

Mr Egan is a well-known animal advocate. And Chris Packham made the point that if a small animal is trapped in a snare they become a prey animal to a larger predator so they are killed and eaten. The important issue for pet owners is that sometimes cats and dogs get caught in them. The Head of Campaigns at Animal Aid, Jessamy Korotoga, said that many people can't believe that they are still legal.

The problem with snares is that they are indiscriminate. Any animal that wanders into them and gets caught by them is killed cruelly.

Comment: personally, I hate them and I dislike the attitude of the Countryside Alliance who blithely state that they improve wildlife conservation while ignoring the pain they cause animals. They treat foxes as pests and accept that they're going to feel pain and die of starvation. They don't find any problem in that at all. And yet foxes are wildlife like any other creature with a right to survive. The Countryside Alliance practices speciesism which means they favour certain animals over others. This I think is inherently incorrect and unfair.

Chris Packham says that snares should be banned and they are banned throughout most of Europe. It's remarkable that the UK is behind mainland Europe in this regard. We have, at the centre of government, Carrie Johnson, the wife of the Prime Minister, who is a strong animal advocate. She is behind the introduction of current animal welfare legislation with the assistance of Lord Goldsmith, a friend of hers. In other words, the UK is strengthening its animal welfare laws. Why, therefore, is the dreaded and barbaric snare being omitted from these improvements in British legislation?

How I cured a fox of mange by hand feeding

This is another cross-post. It was an event in my life about five years ago. A lot foxes where I lived had mange. Mange is an awful parasitic disease which causes hair loss and great irritation in foxes. There are many urban foxes in London.

I used to fed this female fox and she got mange. I could easily tell because her tail lost its fur. And then other parts of her body. It was distressing.

I sourced a homeopathic cure in liquid form which I poured over chicken slices. In the early hours of the morning I offered them to her and she took the chicken from my hand tenderly in her mouth. There was never any chance of a bite. She was a gentle, trusting fox.

Over many weeks her mange disappeared and her fur came back. One day under the bright sun on the manicured lawn she rolled onto her back and wriggled around in delight. She was pain free. I could tell.

From that day on I have not seen her again. I believed she had been shot by a government employed hunter who I believe cull urban foxes. This might be incorrect.

I am happy I helped her. It is horrible to see a fox suffer with mange. It kills many urban foxes quite quickly because of exposure (loss of body temperature) and diseases caused by self-mutilation in biting and scratching the irritated skin.

If you click on the link at the top of the page you'll see another picture of her in reasonable shape and another video. She came into the flat one day! Here is the video:

Tame Fox Loves Her Caretaker

A lot of people dislike foxes. In fact a lot of people hate foxes. They think they spread disease and are pests. Personally, I love them. I think they're great and they survive against all the odds in the human world.



The fox in the video, Dawn, was raised as a young cub and lives in a sanctuary in the UK (Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary). There are 5 other foxes at the sanctuary.

 My Charlie has frequently bumped into a fox when he is outside in the evening but nothing happens. The fox more or less ignores him and Charlie hisses at the fox. On one occasion Charlie was aggressive towards the fox, who I was feeding.

Do foxes attack cats?

Foxes don't attack the domestic cat, normally. This comes from my personal experience and from information on the internet. It actually makes sense too. I am incidentally, writing about British foxes in Britain. The British fox, in this instance an urban fox, is the size of a medium-small sized dog.

My friendly fox getting up close to me. Photo by Michael at PoC

He is a very handsome fox. I look after him in a minor way. I put out cat food that my cat does not finish. This is sensible recycling, I think. There is no waste. Although I don't think a fox should eat too much cat food as it is probably too rich.



I think this fox is no longer frightened of me. Although he is very cautious but as you can see he approaches to within a foot of my camera! He actually looks pretty fit. Most foxes around here die of a kind of mange that strips off their fur and they die of hypothermia I believe.

The issue of whether a British fox would attack a domestic cat probably comes down to several factors all of which indicate that it won't happen.

The relative size of the animals is a factor. A small, perhaps ill cat might be vulnerable to a large, hungry and desperate fox. But a decent sized adult and relatively fit domestic cat is probably perfectly safe. I have seen my three legged boy cat, a large 15 lb cat, walk close to a fox and be aggressive towards the fox. The fox ignored him.