Foxes in Summers Landing
Summers Landing Residents,
A resident was concerned about foxes after having encountered one in her yard. We found some online information about foxes that we wanted to share with the rest of our HOA to help allay any fears of fox attacks or other diseases foxes may carry. In fact, John Thyen, our HOA BoD President, had a fox walking across his patio. Last year a mamma & pappa fox apparently set up housekeeping under the Thyen's shed and produced a family of about 3-4 pups. The foxes left as soon as they became near full grown. While the Thyen's don’t have pets anymore, there are several cats that regularly pass through their yard and have done so for many years. Obviously no fox has posed a danger to them.
Like deer, foxes are a part of our woodsy environment and pose no serious danger unless we corner or threaten them in some way. If we leave them alone, they will leave us alone.
Are Foxes Dangerous To People Or Pets? A lot of people will be intimidated by the sight of a fox. It is true that to see a fox in a place where people live is a strange sight and no one should ever try to pet or corner a fox in order to catch it with their bare hands as they will become aggressive when cornered. But in general, foxes are not especially dangerous to humans or some pets. They will feed on livestock that is small such as poultry, rabbits or other small newborn animals. There have been cases where there have been some attacks, but generally speaking it is not a common occurrence. The cases where there has been an attack have happened when the fox is defending itself, its den or has been pushed to that extreme due to a lack of food. The reason they do not attack dogs, cats or humans is because they are not something that a fox sees as prey. Though it could happen that a fox tries to attack a dog or more likely a cat, they will be scared off when the noise begins or when a cat’s claws come out. Diseases They May Carry The one danger that foxes do present is the danger of disease. They are a possible carrier of rabies and a bite can cause an infection. They can also defecate close to where people live and the bacteria can spread when the feces dry or when a dog gets too close. This has the same impact as dog feces and if a fox has gone to the bathroom in your garden you should clean it, just like you would when a dog does it. The more likely scenario is that you will not be affected by the diseases that foxes carry, but your pets will be more susceptible to them. Mange, for example can affect dogs but the disease is easily treated and will not kill the dog once the treatment begins. The worst case scenario is hair loss by your pet unless it is not treated. Danger To Humans There have been some reported cases when a fox has attacked small children, but in reality there are not that many situations where that happens. In some cases the fox is acting territorial, and in some it may be defending itself. Attacks on humans are very rare, but unfortunately they do get a lot of press and that gives foxes a bad name. The fact is that foxes are very careful at what they do and while it can happen that they go into a house by accident, they will look for the exit as soon as they realize that there are people inside. There have been times when a fox has been credited with an attack, but in reality the culprit has been another animal. There is no reason to fear a physical attack from a fox on a human. Even in cases where a human may be close to its den, a fox will try to guide the person away by escaping. Keep Them Away Even though the fox does not represent an immediate danger you should not want them close to you. There is the possibility of the previously mentioned disease, not to mention the mess they can make around your home. Foxes are scavengers and if there is an easy meal to be had in your garbage then they will go for it. While there is not much to fear from foxes you should always approach with caution and if you are one of those rare cases where a fox actually goes into a house then you are better off calling wildlife control. There is a myth that foxes are dangerous to humans, but the truth is that foxes have a lot more to fear from us that we ever will from them.
Rabies and Mange in Foxes
Foxes aren't dangerous to humans, except when they are rabid, which is very rare.
Although foxes sometimes succumb to rabies, the good news is that the fox strain of the disease has rarely if ever been transmitted to a human in this country.
Not all pet dogs attack, but once bitten twice shy. Rabid foxes are also, like urban foxes, less wary of humans than their rural counterparts. You will more likely see a fox at dusk, or at night, but they do not attack people so there is no worry about exploring an area either at day or night.
