A vulpine tragedy

Two of them were lying beside the road this morning. The vixen was too crushed to be blippable but the fox looked impeccable. It's tempting to wonder whether he went to the assistance of his mate and was killed in so doing, otherwise why did they die together?

"Do you feel justice has been done?" asked my neighbour, referring to the recent attacks on my poultry. No, I don't feel any sort of vindication, just sadness that these animals died as well as my ducks and hens. The foxes needed the birds more than I did, in all honesty, and although I regret losing the poultry I can't blame the foxes for being carnivores and doing what they had to do to survive.

The one positive aspect is that these foxes were healthy specimens. Many suffer from sarcoptic mange, an unpleasant and often fatal skin disease caused by the scabies mite. Animals with it look malnourished and painfully debilitated by hair loss, irritation and infection. It is contagious and can cause fox populations to crash. Better a quick death on the road than prolonged suffering.

Pete Seeger sings The Fox