Friendly foxes... hmm....

Just read this news story, what does everyone think? there is a picture of the 'foxes' and they look a bit like catlike border collies with bright blue eyes... hmm....

Man could have a new best friend: the fox. Scientists in Siberia claim to have bred the first "friendly" foxes, with the same degree of "social intelligence" as dogs... The creatures have white tufts in their black fur, and shorter muzzles than wild breeds. They enjoy human contact, wag their tails and greet humans with excited barks. And like dogs, they can read human faces and gestures for clues as to what is expected of them. The scientists bred the animals over 45 years for tameness and lack of agression towards humans as part of a fur farming project Only the most docile were allowed to reproduce. "Through genetic selection alone, our research group has created a population of tame foxes fundamentally different in temperament and behaviour from their wild forebears" said Lyudmilla Trut of the Russian Academy of Sciences

I remember years ago I was at the Highland wildlife park in Kingussie and I put my hand into the pen to pet an arctic fox, (despite big sign saying do not touch/feed the animals etc ) and it was really friendly and docile, it didnt wag its tail or act like a dog, but it was quite happy to be petted

Up the back of my house is Palacerigg Country Park its a free park and they have arctic foxes, they are really docile wee things. Its the fecking donkeys you need to watch lol.

lol tell me about it i used to work at a rescue stables i have had loads of nasty injuries of grumpy donkeys. my mum feeds foxes and running a pub they get all the left over mixed grills and steaks and all sorts they are better fed than my husband who i feed a diet mainly consisting of pasta! i was never bothered about my mum feeding the foxes as she is slightly batty and prefers any animal to humans until it ate one of my guinea pigs! then i went off foxes!

lol lol lol
Ive never been there is it good? what other animals have they got?
I like the FREE bit so you dont need to pay to get in?????

cool! will persuade the OH to go there one weekend. I made him go to a childrens petting zoo, mini farm one day and dragged him round all the donkeys/goats/ponies/llamas etc, he wasnt keen, there was hundreds of kids running about and hardly any adults they had a giant trampoline but he wouldnt let me go on it

When I was younger I heard of a woman who resuced a fox cub and hand reared it and she used to take it walks in the village where she lived ,the only problem I heard it had was it was a bit smelly

yes they do have a distinct musky smell

It's really quite nice CBT, I walk there most days with the dogs (though not in the park lol) and every so often me & Kyle talke a trip up, they have some great tree walks too.

They have loads of wildlife, lots of birds (owls, falcons etc), a mad cow (not sure what type its grey with a hump on its back and the sookiest thing alive), they have some horses a few donkeys, a horrible peakock that chases you, lots of Scottish wild cats, pole cats, arctic foxes, deer, goats, wallabies and a few others I probably forgot.

They have a wee canteen & picnic area too just after a lovley pond with a bridge you can walk over & watch the birds. They do a good job considering it's free to get in & walk around.

Laura

"they have some great tree walks too."

whats a tree walk?

sounds good, I will get the OH to take me as soon as we get a nice dry weekend

"not sure what type its grey with a hump on its back"

are you sure its not a camel?

sorry just on a p1ss take mission today lol lol lol