smig4373 Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Has anyone seen or heard of any rumours regarding urban foxes from large towns and cities,being reased in rural areas.Namely,foxes from bristol being dumped in cornwall....Ive raised this issue with James at sporting shooter magazine,and the matter has been raised in parliament by Jane Kennedy(farming minister).The rumour mill states that it could be orginisations like RSPCA etc..if they were doing it could constitute an offence under the animal health act....does any one have any thoughts on this... David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taffygun Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I could be wrong but I was under the impression that there is a law concerning catch and release of pest species, that law being that its not allowed. Once a pest species is trapped or caught the catcher has a legal obligation to dispose of that pest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Fudd Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 there was a thread bout this recently, it was the rspca doing it, search the forums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smig4373 Posted June 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 It is against the law taffy,if its true then the people supposed to be "up holding" animal welfare are releasing foxes in to rural areas which is bad enough...but the animals in question will have a questionable amounts of skill to adapt to rural life...not many wheeley bins around here to raid...they say that starvation and the spread of dicease brought from the city foxes is a real problem...not good from the people who we all know are double standard bunny huggers..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexm Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Is it really illegal to release indigenous species? Non-indigenous (grey squirrel, mink etc) definitely illegal.... but fox? I'd be interested in the relevant legislation if it is. As for the Bristol foxes, I know for a fact that some are released here in North Somerset as some have turned up on the local estate with tags on them, much to the disgust of the local keeper I should imagine! I think the University were involved with the project as well as the RSPCA... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadkill Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 my mate whos out most nights all of a suddern had four or five foxes turn up and there were also some tyre tracks to the spot .. They acted very different to the normal fox and wouldnt even call in .. He was sure to hell that these had been released Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8shot Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 my mate had a few foxs going in to his rubbish bins so he done the decent thing and let them have both barrles on inspecting the foxs they had tattos in there ears like they did with the greyhounds he thinks they were urban foxs released by the r.s.p.c.a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M4X Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 As I understand it releasing fox's is not legal. I have heard roumor, from a fairly reliable source, that the RSPCA have released foxes between Bacup and Todmorden, Lancashire - West Yorkshire borders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignoel Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 its illegal to dump them into another area wildlife animal abandiment act 1961 . back into the same area is ok ?? problem not solved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 there was a thread bout this recently, it was the rspca doing it, search the forums There is a thread about this every six months, or so. I think there is no doubt that some foxes caught in live trap cages in towns have been released into the countryside. I do not believe the stories of them standing naively out in fields (or on the side of the road) in groups and being shot wholesale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 There was a topic about this happening in Cornwall here it is. He has found quite a few foxes on his patch down Helston that behave very differently to others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerseaDavid Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 The RSPCA and a few other companies have often released foxes on to Mersea island but they do not last long round my part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scout Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I'm sure we have had them released on a couple of my permissions. No deinfate proof but their behaviour was not the norm. Wouldn't be suprised if it's the RSPCA as there is an inspector who lives within 5 miles of the farm in question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldPultney Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I think it's section 14 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act which makes it illegal to release grey squirrels, mink ,muntjac deer and such like into the wild. They can be released back to the area recovered from if being rehabilitated e.g by the RSPCA after traffic accident etc . Would imagine that the RSPCA do release foxes back into the wild in similar circumstances. There's a chap at Bristol University who has done a lot of research into foxes which may explain tags and tatoos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 The RSPCA have been seen releasing foxes on the Brecon Beacons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 If you've proof of this and I do mean PROOF not hearsay from the usual friend of a friends second cousin twice removed. If you have proof then Robert Bucknell would like to hear from you with details as he's collating info about the illegal dumping of urban foxes in the countryside. It does happen and we should all be making a noise about it. Why should townies think they can dump their unwanted trash/vermin in the countryside where it'll do far more damage (given the chance which they don't get round here) than it ever would in a town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 It is not illegal to release foxes into the countryside. The only proviso is that when they are released they are released into an area where they are able to feed and sustain themselves. Should they be released into an area where they could not then the person releasing them could be prosecuted for cruelty. I don't know if it is still up for grabs but at one time the RSPCA were offering a reward for information and evidence of urban caught fox releases no doubt as a smoke screen to cover up their activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rigwallet Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 go to sheffield i use to live there the council has put areas aside far foxes in urban areas at nite its a joke theres more foxes than cats ,dogs and kids running about its a bloody joke there in the bins killing pets and council not interetsed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Highlander, most of the farmers local to Robert, me included, keep him posted with sightings of releases of foxes. It doesn't happen often round here, but one local vet practice is well known for working on foxes trapped in the local city and towns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badshot Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Below is the reply i got from defra about releasing foxes. I have edited any names and personal information from it hopefully to protect myself and the person who replied to me, i will under no circumstances release these details either so don't ask. I take no responsibility for the content of this reply either. Thank you for your email of 2 April about releasing foxes. Although Defra would not condone the translocation of foxes, it is not illegal to move foxes from one location to another. Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) does make it illegal to release or allow to escape into the wild a species not ordinarily resident in Britain or which is listed on Schedule 9 of the 1981 Act. However, the fox is a native species, and is not listed on Schedule 9 of the WCA, so it is not illegal to release them back into the wild. However, if foxes are translocated, the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 must be complied with. Under section 9 of the 2006 Act it is an offence for a person to fail to provide for the welfare needs of any animal under his or her control. This includes failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that an animal has the ability to fend for itself in the wild upon release. If it were found that an animal had suffered unnecessarily after release, it could also be an offence of causing unnecessary suffering under section 4 of the 2006 Act. Do i agree with the above? i suppose it is correct in as much as the fox is native but still feel it is wrong to release foxes onto land without permission. It is most certainly easier to shoot the foxes than it would be to try to get the practice stopped so carry on as normal then i guess. How do the rest of you find it? Does this help chaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smig4373 Posted June 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 According to reports.Jane Kennedy has said in parliament that "Any orginisation releasing urban foxes in to rural areas WILL be prosecuted under the animal welfare act 2006"..i can only assime from that statement that IT IS ILLEGAL.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 This is Kennedys reply to the question posed to her in parliment. Jane Kennedy: From time-to-time DEFRA receives anecdotal reports of urban foxes being released into the countryside. The Government do not condone the translocation of foxes from urban to rural areas. While it is not illegal under wildlife legislation to move foxes from one place to another as long as the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are complied with, there are welfare concerns with releasing foxes into areas unfamiliar to them and the potential to spread disease. Under section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 it is an offence for a person to fail to provide for the welfare needs of an animal under his or her control. This includes failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that an animal has the ability to fend for itself in the wild on release. If it were found that an animal had suffered unnecessarily after release, it could also be an offence of causing unnecessary suffering under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Nowhere in this statement does it state that those releasing foxes WILL be prosecuted. It merely states the law which is that it is not illegal which is what badshot and I have stated. Shows how "reports" twist the truth. charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 there was someone prosecuted locally for doing the exact same thing.................................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taffygun Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Well the twist there for me is, believing that there is no catch and release for pest species, anyone who has trapped a pest species is responsible for its termination. Actually now I find out its legal to release native species, pest or not and the person is only prosecutable if they can prove that they were released without the animals welfare being considered. Is that right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3jackwhite3 Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 One of the farms i shoot on the farmer thinks there are urban foxes being released as he has caught well over a 150 foxes in the last coiple of years in a cage trap out side his house. One of his neighbours was feeding up to 8 foxes at a time in his garden and when ever this happens he has a fox in his cage trap every morning, he has caught 8 in march this year and he caught another a couple of weeks ago. The neighbouring farm used to be a chicken farm and one winter there was over 100 foxes snared there and these are small farms of no more than 70 acres so there must be something up. this is in south wales by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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