NC Wildlife Issues Tips To Deal With Foxes

May 31, 2009

More and more foxes are being seen in suburbia each year and attacks on people while rare are not unheard of. NCWRC wants to caution people about interacting with foxes or any wild animal and to actually discourage them from your property.

“Scaring the foxes away once may not always work,” said Joe Folta, a biologist with the commission. “The best time to scare them away is the first time they are seen. Many animals are cute and fun to watch, but when any animal enters your yard, try to think if you want this animal to keep coming back or return with relatives.”
If the fox makes a den for pups, do not disturb them. Do not approach, touch or feed the fox or its pups.

Some guidelines NCWRC recommends people to follow when keeping wild animals from their yards.

• Don’t feed wild animals – they can lose their fear of people.
• Make sure you are not indirectly feeding wildlife by cleaning up pet food, securing trash in an animal-proof container, keeping barbecue grills clean and removing bird feeders.
• Establish protective barriers to keep wildlife from entering basements, crawl spaces, attics and underneath decks, where they might build nests or dens.
• Secure pets or keep them indoors. Dogs can disturb dens, prompting aggressive behavior from the foxes.
• Clear overhanging tree limbs or other means of access that wildlife use to enter a structure.
• Clear fallen fruit from around trees.
• Encourage neighbors to follow these same methods.

While I don’t have small children living in my house I see no reason to discourage wild animals from traveling through my yard and occasionally stopping for a meal. I’m rather pleased to see visitors like the fox I recently photographed in my yard. Of course it is somewhat selfish on my part but it does cut down on the neighbors’ cats hanging out in my yard. If you have any question about a animal that is acting sick or strangely you should contact your local animal control people for advice on what to do.