Stop Elmbridge Borough Council from culling a fox family!

For the attention of the Head of the Elmbridge Borough Council Environmental Health and Licensing Team,

We, the undersigned, petition against the proposed fox cull at Stompond Lane Sports Ground.

It is understood that complaints were made about the foxes in the area as they were no longer wary of being approached by people. Apparently, Walton and Hersham FC raised concerns that the foxes were scaring children and workers.

As a result, your department had determined that the best method of resolving the issue was to arrange a cull of the foxes, which was scheduled to proceed on the evening of 15/03/2012.

It had since been revealed that Walton and Hersham FC did not actually make a complaint against the foxes, the Elmbridge Guardian quotes:

"In fact, Walton & Hersham FC are rather fond of the two young foxes who circulate freely at the Ground and feel that the quoted council spokesman, who inferred Walton & Hersham FC were behind the proposed cull should be called to account, otherwise this might be seen as a deliberate attempt by Elmbridge Borough Council to besmirch the name of the Club in order to get passed their proposed plans for redevelopment of the Ground.”

We are outraged that a cull was arranged in light that one of the alleged complaints was not in fact made. It appears that insufficient investigations have been carried out in order to establish whether the foxes are really a genuine issue.

According to the University of Bristol’s “The Fox website”, “lethal fox control has been attempted in the past by local authorities in England and Wales without success. Exemplary is the case of London where shooting and trapping of foxes was carried out first by the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (now DEFRA) and then by the London Boroughs from the 1940s to the 1970s, and in some Boroughs even into the early 1980s.

Lethal control was not effective: a dead animal leaves an empty territory and is quickly replaced by another fox regardless of the number of foxes killed. Furthermore, lethal control is expensive. The costs associated with catching and killing a fox generally far outweigh the low level of nuisance caused by foxes so that most councils have stopped lethal fox control.”

Simon Cowell, founder of the Wildlife Aid Foundation in Leatherhead has stated that, “six people were bitten by foxes each year whereas 6,000 people were hospitalised by dog bites.” 

Evidentially, the risk of a fox attack is considerably lower in comparison to attacks by dogs. Unfortunately, on the very rare occasion that there is an incident, the press vilifies foxes through scaremongering and as a result members of the public feel threatened by these ordinarily shy foxes that are naturally wary of humans. Foxes are not a serious nuisance in urban areas and most issues can be easily solved by using deterrents.

Ultimately, leaving the foxes to continue their lives without disruptions would be the best solution. Should there still be concerns regarding the foxes, it would be beneficial to consider alternative control methods of deterring foxes.

“Both prevention and non-lethal methods of control are more effective and cheaper, and an increasing number of council are applying them. There are a few simple measures to take to avoid problems:

- Keep poultry and pets securely housed

- Tidy up rubbish and bramble patches (those are used as daytime refuges)

- Put all you rubbish in the bin, not by the side or, if this is not possible, put your rubbish out in the morning and not the night before collection

- Use commercially available deterrents to stop foxes leaving droppings in your garden

- Make sure there are no entrances underneath your house/sheds” (the fox website)

We urge you to re-consider the proposal of culling foxes and to consider our proposals as follows:

- To educate the community including schools about foxes

- Thoroughly investigate any complaints about foxes to establish whether the foxes are a genuine risk

- To seek advice from humane wildlife organizations when there is a threat

- To consider not-lethal methods of deterring foxes should it be proven that there is a threat

Foxes are beautiful, timid creatures which pose little threat to the general public and are part of Britain’s indigenous wildlife. They are beneficial to the environment by helping to reduce rat populations and they form part of the ecosystem by being a natural predator. Anyone who is fortunate enough to have foxes in their garden will understand that these mammals are full of character and are a joy to observe. We should be proud of our foxes and not be seeking to kill them.

We look forward to your consideration and response regarding this matter.

Yours Sincerely,