Things people do to foxes

Badgerwatch  will not publish the source of the written account for obvious reasons.

“On Saturday 2nd February    I   received a call from   concerned neighbours who heard a lot of shooting around  the locality. This is in a beautiful part of  the mid-lands. It is an amazing location,  used daily for walking the dogs as it is secluded  with lots of forestry. With every positive comes a negative and that would be that the area is utilised by hunters quite a bit and these also live in the general  locality.
When I was told  that there was a lot of shooting I   advised the neighbours not to go to the area alone and that I would meet  and accompany them.

 When we got to the location there were no vehicles around but lots of tracks. I parked a little up the road and as I walked I noticed something in the distance. On closer approach, I realised that it was a fox tied to the gate with blue twine.

He had been lodged between two gates and then tied. I asked my neighbours to go home at this point, as they are   older persons and  animal lovers also I was fearful the hunters may still be in the location.

On  closer inspection of the fox, it was apparent he was dead and there was a clear bullet wound on his side. As I looked a closer I noticed that there was a   (?)  red cable also tying the fox to the gate and then to my horror I realised it was not a cable at all but the fox’s tail.  It had been skinned to remove the brush no doubt as a souvenir.

 I have no idea of the significance of the stick in his mouth.  My only hope is that the creature was dead before they removed his tail and that the stick was not used as a gag to stop him biting the hunters as they performed the final barbaric act.

It was difficult but I took as many photos as I could conscious that I needed to get out of the area for my own safety also. I removed the fox from the gate and placed him on the ground and took some more photos. I then wrapped him up and placed him in my car to be buried. I couldn’t save him. I was too late but he was at least given  a dignified burial.

I have lived in the country all my life, I have been involved in animal welfare for more years than I care to remember but what I witnessed Saturday will stay with me for a long time.

It was horrific...........it was murder. I cannot do anything about the fact that it may be legal to shoot foxes, shooting is one thing, the pure acts of evil that were done to this creature were nothing short of sadistic”