I must admit I did find this story hard to believe when I heard it.

I have foxes living near me here at this house and once at another address and both times the foxes were more scared of the cats and us and would scarper out of the garden if the cats went out or one of us.

That house we lived in we left 14 years ago so maybe they have become more brave, although we lived near a town I think they were more country foxes plenty of open space woods etc.,

We have them here also and again we live on the edge of town so more country foxes again I suppose, plenty of fields a nature reserve and woods.

They come close too the houses but once again take off when they hear human or cat or dog. We have windows and doors open and none here have ever ventured near enough to look like they might come in.

I hope the little girls make a speedy recovery.

The mother of two baby girls who were mauled by a fox in their cots wept today as she said she hoped they would survive.

Nine-month-old twins Lola and Isabella Koupparis were attacked as they slept after the animal crept into their home through an open door.

Parents Nick and Pauline were today at their bedside. One has wounds to the eye while the other suffered serious injuries to her arm. Mrs Koupparis returned to her Homerton home briefly before heading back to hospital.

Holding a teddy bear and accompanied by sister-in-law Barbara Koupparis, who was clutching a bag of nappies and a children's rucksack, she said: “We're just worried about them and we want to make sure they are okay. One is good but the other is not so good.”

The babies were attacked at about 10pm on Saturday after a fox entered through a ground-floor door which had been left open because of the heat.

Read more.....
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...london-home.do

I think we need to remember that as far as civilisation goes we are continually spreading out and out taking over more and more of what used to be the green belt/countryside. Foxes/badgers habitats are continually being eaten up by brick and mortar.

Nearly 40 years ago when my sister bought her house she had open countryside all round her. They said they would never build at the left of her property as it was "Swamp". Hah - they did - yep the houses are subsiding and all have problems! They built at the back of her and on the other side and her house is bang in the middle of what is now a town side road. However their house is unique as it sits in over half acre - part of their back garden has always had a worn "track" on it. Used by countless generations of badgers and foxes. My brother in law regularly feeds both. Although they come to be fed and will look at you, if you were to try and go to them, they would all be off like a shot. I buy bags of food to give him to feed them. I have some amazing pics he took of the foxes sitting waiting to be fed.

I suppose you could say people like my bro in law who feeds them are to blame but arent we as a society to blame also for continually eating up their habitats with our spreading out taking over what used to be "country/rural" areas. I know folk have to have somewhere to live - then again so do the original inhabitants.

No, you're right it might not have been the same fox, but given that foxes (well at least country ones, I don't know about urban ones) are territorial and that it appears that the destroyed fox was caught in the same garden, close to the house, I think there is a reasonable chance it was the same fox.

Look at it another way. If you knew there was a baby-attacking fox living in your area, what would you do? Never let your wee dogs out in the garden again or risk one of them being the target?

Unfortunately if foxes are now entering houses, I guess that food is becoming less abundant - there could well be an over-population in that area. Again, if that is the case, to humanely destroy a few is better for foxes in that area in the long run than some of them starvinge to death or being beaten by angry/frightened residents.

And don't misunderstand me, I love foxes, but there has to be a balance. When a fox starts attacking humans, that balance has tipped too far.

From my experience of foxes where I live, i would have agreed with you. I've only seen a handful in our rural area (I hear them far more than I see them) and they are definitely shy of people.

But I posted on here a few months ago about walking out at lunchtime in the centre of Edinburgh and a fox came out from a side road and just sauntered round me. He was no more than 2ft away from me at the closest and he was completely relaxed about me and all the other people wondering around...I was more startled/taken aback than the fox was!

I sort of agree with you, although when you look at Britain as a whole, there is still far more undeveloped land than there is urban (and long may that continue!)

I think its really about foxes being opportunists - many have learnt that city living (i.e. scavanging) can actually be easier than having to hunt for your dinner!

Who knows, perhaps foxes are going through the same evolutionary process that dogs did all those years ago. Some will become friendly and tame - those that won't live peacefully with us will be destroyed or forced out, so foxes could eventually become domesticated!

Theres a country fox round here, it has no fear of dogs, I've had Diesel barking lunging doing all he can to get to this fox and its just sat there watching him, I've also had to warn a mastiff owner of it as it wont run from that dog either, all I can say is good job the leads hold!

there's already a thread about this here....

http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=126935

Well i guess i fall in the same categories as the parents of those poor innocent little girls, IRRESPONSIBLE, yes when its hot humid weather we to leave our patio windows open and doors and living in the country side i never once thought of the rats and mice entering my home, but why stop there what about wasps, bees, moths, munkjacks. How come they never thought of these dangers. shame on them.

Its a hard one because no i wouldnt, not let my dogs out again, but i certainly wouldnt want to hear 'the' (or a) fox had been destroyed.

I hope they dont become to domesticated, they shouldnt be near people, but then like velvetboxer says, we are mainly to blame for that.

Even if it was one of your dogs that was attacked and injured?

rune