The fox has been caught ...

For eleven years we lived on an island in the middle of the River Thames with no vehicular or pedestrian access other than by boat. We now over look it from the 'mainland'. Two foxes appeared on the island some months ago and can only have got there by swimming over which in itself is amazing .. unless of course they took a boat and rowed They were causing mayhem with the local wildlife and a neighbour made a large cage trap under the supervision of the RSPCA. One was successfully trapped some months ago and the other remained aloof. Success the trap door was down when I got up early and sure enough there is a beautiful fox inside waiting its release in a new location. I think the noise of the door closing on the trap or its own noise woke my dogs around 3 this morning. As soon as I see anyone awake in one of the houses over there I'll give them a ring or phone someone at 8 if the lazy 'divils' are still asleep. They've been given permission to release it in a large 250 acre site not far from here. This is the trap with fox still in taken from our side of the river so it may be a little hazy. It looks as though its on a boat ... its not

I've just seen a neighbour check the trap which is good news, so the fox will soon have a new home.

*******
They finally loaded the crate into a boat and off it went to be released but I am so cross with them. I could hear from here that the poor fox was distressed and was thrashing against the sides so called over to them to put some blankets over the crate .............. no they knew better the ignorant lot!!

Lets hope it stays where its put jenny and doesn't disturb the boys anymore.
Are they very territorial and likely to try to find a way back ?

Great pic jenny. And what a successful 'humane' capture too!

These pics always remind me of my weekends and holidays spent mucking about on our boats up and down the Thames. We'd sometimes moor up at the little islands with not much on them. My boys would think it was a great adventure having their own island to explore!

It's now 8.20 and I saw one of the islanders go and take a look but still nothing has been done. If in the next 10 minutes or so nobody appears I'll start making phone calls 'cos the poor thing is getting quite distressed now what with boats going past etc.

Yes, foxes are territorial and have their own 'patch' and personally I wish they'd release this one on the 'mainland' bank on the north side of the river. The mate of this fox was released on the south bank to add to our collection here I assume though that they'll release this one in the same area again. There are only 23 houses on the island with a field in the middle and they've been trying to trap this one for ages. They kept moving the trap each week onto a frontage where they knew the fox would go. It happens to be on a frontage of a vacant property.

Our two boys loved living on the island and had total freedom .... although from when they started walking certain areas were 'out-of-bounds' i.e. where the little ferry boats cross to etc. We too use to spend a lot of time up river and would often moor up overnight at Cliveden, Marlow, Henley .... a real Swallows and Amazons time Our big boat now sits at the end of our garden unused.

I hope the fox enjoy his new home and doesn't come back to botehr you.

Ndidi

Hope there's a happy ending all round. Such a beautiful place to live

jenny.g no idea why I could only see the FIRST picture the first time? Maybe I clicked to look before they'd all loaded up!

I could SMACK those 'blokes' not listening to your advice. Blokes! huh!

What a WASTE having a boat at the end of your garden and no one using it. When I used to travel to our mooring to use ours every chance we got!

We use to use it all the time and go abroad on it each summer. The trouble is the kids grew up and wanted to do their own thing (quite rightly) and we've been just about everywhere on the river, up the east coast, down the south coast etc etc and it would get very complicated taking the boat abroad now 'cos the dogs. Its a lovely boat, and one day we'll sell her. We do use our 'ickle boats though and so do my sons.

You didn't see all the photos first time round 'cos I edited the post and added them. Ha..ha..

Is that yours - the houseboat jenny? I'd love one of those. (No chance though )I love watching them on the canals whenever I walk along one.

What an adventure Jenny , great photographs too .
I hope the fox is ok though they are not top of my popularity list as the moment having scattered the content of my dustbin bag everywhere last week.