Fox traps removed from Clissold Park as last-ditch petition forces council rethink
‘Severe health risk’: a fox family. Photograph: Kuba Novak
Clissold Park’s foxes have been handed a lifeline after an eleventh-hour petition forced Hackney Council to remove traps it had laid in the deer enclosure.
The petition against plans to cull foxes in Clissold Park deer enclosure attracted 400 signatures in 60 minutes, triggering a rethink by Hackney Council, which has pledged to “humanely kill” the animals.
In light of recent concern, we have removed fox traps from Clissold Pk deer enclosure till further notice. Full update tomorrow
— Hackney Council (@hackneycouncil) October 8, 2015
News of the fox cull was confirmed earlier today, with the council claiming the foxes posed a “severe health risk” to the park’s herd of fallow deer and to people visiting Clissold House.
The council explained that foxes have bypassed a council-installed fence designed to keep them away from the deer, bringing rubbish into the enclosure with them, endangering the deer’s health and apparently putting their lives at risk.
To solve the problem, Hackney Council has announced it will bait, trap and “humanely kill” the foxes in accordance with government welfare guidelines.
A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “Government guidance indicates the relocation or release of foxes once trapped should not take place. In addition we have been advised that releasing the foxes into the established territory of other wild foxes will cause them distress or injury which could lead to extreme suffering.
“The alternative to this cull is that the deer are put at risk.
“The deer have been monitored for the past year, and have been witnessed eating the plastic rubbish on a number of occasions. In addition, the fox earths [burrows] can cause hazards to the legs of the deer – such earths have injured deer in other deer parks.
“There are roughly four or five adult foxes currently living in a deer enclosure of seven deer. This far exceeds the ratio in any other London park – it is the equivalent of having many hundreds of foxes living in Richmond Park.
“We are looking into how we can prevent foxes returning to the site and the earths.”
Concerned residents reacted angrily on social media today, leading to the petition on change.org calling for the council to reconsider culling the foxes.
A letter attached to the petition, addressed to the council and London Mayor Boris Johnson, claimed there is no evidence foxes pose a risk to the health of either deer or humans.
“The reality of a fox ‘cull’ is that it would achieve nothing. Prominent wildlife ecologists, including DEFRA, accept that previous attempts to reduce the numbers of a self-regulating species that annually replaces its lost numbers and may not breed at all if numbers are already optimal have failed – WILL always fail,” the letter stated.
They killed the fish, now they’re killing the deer – not listening to experts on how foxes behave. I am ashamed of my local park and my council. take the easy way out – or the idiots way out it would seem. If only they policed the park and removed the rabble rousers at night- the foxes wouldn’t have to seek safety behind the fence of the deer enclosure. That is exactly what is happening.
Do the foxes leave plastic packaging all over the enclosure or just close to their den?
If the latter, a solution (for the time) being might be to put some temporary barrier around the fox den area to prevent deer from going near it.
I’m no fox expert but I’ve seen these animals active in the early morning by the fence abutting the New River moat. Presumably that’s the part of the enclosure they inhabit. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find some way of keeping the deer away from this bit, thereby safeguarding them from the dangers of eating the plastic or getting their legs broken because of burrows.
Another option would, of course, be to relocate the deer. There are enclosures in other parts of London and the country where they might be better off. Fallow deer live in the wild in places like Epping Forest. Perhaps mileage in them being released there?
I think these options, and any other non lethal ones, should be seriously explored before resorting to killing the foxes.
If all options have been tried and have failed, and if the deer are definitely in mortal danger, then perhaps there is a case for killing the foxes. But even then I’m not sure this would morally be right for the reasons others have stated – namely recolonisation by other foxes.
Perhaps, ultimately, we will all just have to accept that the foxes are there, move the deer elsewhere and allow their enclosure to gradually “rewild” itself.
Just a thought and sorry for the long post.
Just to clarify, apparently the fox family’s den is in an area next to the fence next to the moat under a willow tree and opposite Clissold House. In other words, it’s contained in a small part of what is actually quite a large enclosure. In other words, they have yet to take over the whole thing.
Maybe, if humans weren’t such pigs, the junk these fox are picking up and bringing into the enclosure wouldn’t be a problem!
STOP THE EXTERMINATION OF PRECIOUS< INNOCENT ANIMALS
offensive murder of animals
So sick of the government cull cull cull, its us who has destroyed their habitat, we don’t own the planet, stop culling our wildlife ffs
Fox hunting , any type of hunting is barbaric
I am very pleased that this unnecessary cull has been put on hold although shocked that a Labour Council would even consider such an attack on the little bit of wildlife we have left. I simply don’t accept the reasons stated for even considering a cull of this fox family. If they are bringing rubbish into the enclosure then clear the rubbish. We don’t suggest a cull of the humans who discard such rubbish in the first place do we? Deer could not damage their limbs from encountering a fox earth?! This really is an insult to our intelligence. And a health hazard?? Somebody on the Council who hates the animals and has had their way. It is as simple as that. What a disgrace.
Our wildlife has to be protected not exterminated.Culling is not the answer to these problems.Humans create this imbalance in natue and humans need to find a solution that does not require the killing of innocent wildlife.
Leave our precious wildlife in peace & stop wasting tax-payers money on futile endeavours.Use it to clean the waste that humans put there in the first place,foxes are not to blame!
Surely a single stands electric fence ails the fox den area would stop the hazard to the feet from the earth tunnels? The foxes could go under, the feet couldn’t. Its a technique Iver used often to separate sheep and Castle.
Single strand that was meant to be
Surely if the fox family is that much of a problem – you could catch them in a ‘humane’ trap and simply relocate them …safely.
You’d have to bring the whole family. Or is that too easy?!
So let’s get this straight humans litter, foxes pick up the litter and left over food inside the packet and foxes get killed???
The hypocrisy of favouring one wild animal for another. Leave nature alone…both species have survived this long despite human opinion/intervention. Both are beautiful animals and both have a right to life. When we continue to encroach on their natural habitat it’s obvious they will become more noticeable. Let nature, not culture, select the fittest. I’d be more concerned over the HUMAN rubbish if I were the council.
It’s we who are encroaching on our wildlifes territory, it’s us humans who are driving them into urban areas , to seeking out a place to live and raise their young !
Don’t they have a right to this ? After all it’s nature!
We make this rubbish we discard this rubbish , you only have to walk through the park to find rubbish discarded not in the bins provided but sometimes next to them , or close by its lazy people that can’t be bother to walk a few steps to put their rubbish I. the bin that cause this not the Fox ! As for them causing the deer to hurt their legs what happens in the country ?? Sometimes it happens it’s not the foxes fault do we go out and cull the Fox because a deer has stumbled upon a foxes den ? How stupid ! Let the foxes alone and STOP wasting tax payers money…
This is a travesty and will NOT succeed. Murdering wildlife is not the answer. Build a better fence!!!!
I spent many years in Hackney and loved the place. So glad the council has had the foresight to stop this cull. We should sort ourselves out before resorting to killing wildlife, organise our own rubbish better first. Well done Hackney.
As several people have commented, the way to deal with this is to try to prevent rubbish being dumped in the first place. More bins and stricter (and enforced) penalties for the selfish humans who dump it. This would make the park more enjoyable and safer for everyone. Culled foxes will be replaced by others within 48 hours. Then what will you do?
Some good ideas here. I hope the council are listening. There are other non-lethal ways to deal with this problem and the tax payer’s money should be used for these; not culling. It’s humans that discard the rubbish, not the foxes, so it is not the foxes’ fault. They are innocent creatures, who are just living their lives as best as they can in an urban environment.
Soooo… This terrible threat to deer and humans is actually….rubbish. Rubbish generated by human beings. Maybe sort out the rubbish problem? More secure bins, bye-law strengthened re littering and dumping rubbish. I’m glad they’ve reconsidered but it worries me that their first thought was to cull.
its a pity fox hunters don’t fall down all the holes that foxes supposedly make I’ve never heard such rubbish in my life
for goodness sake just kill the damn foxes, they are unhygienic and keep me awake with their yowling, they are vermin like the rats. a local resident.
Foxes are not classed as vermin and actually keep vermin down. Just having an intolerance to foxes and wanting them killed for their natural noise is hate filled and reeks of selfishness. As for unhygienic…well who dropped the litter? We’re all so clean and perfect aren’t we…I think you’ll find that we aren’t.
It’s nice to see that there are lots of people willing to stand up for wildlife.
. We will have to cull Stephen of course because he just doesn’t fit in. If it’s true what he says then humans should all be exterminated. Because they are the most unhygienic polluting animal on the planet they are the most dangerous and kill each other and everything else that gets in there way. Mostly for money and greed. Not to mention they are also noise polluters..
Stephen, I would rather have mating foxes keeping me awake at night than drunk yobs screaming and yelling at each other. And the rubbish is dumped by humans too.