PUEBLA, Mexico, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Noise pollution reduces the presence of songbirds in cities and must be considered when analyzing urban biodiversity, Mexican and Spanish researchers say.
A study by the University of the Americas in Mexico and the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, carried out in the metropolitan area of Puebla-Cholula in Mexico, revealed green zones most affected by noise have fewer bird species, basqueresearch.com reported Monday.
Among the birds better adapted to urban conditions that are being affected by noise pollution are various species of finches, sparrows and thrushes, the researchers said.
The green spaces studied for the frequency of occurrence of 38 songbirds species included urban parks, main squares, university campuses, natural reserves close to the city and even cemeteries.
Squares and urban parks were the noisiest sites among those studied and, in turn, the ones with a small number of species, researchers said.
The next challenge is to discover what levels of noise can be tolerated by each of the species of birds inhabiting urban environments, they said.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/11/21/Study-City-songbirds-victims-of-noise/UPI-50401321913546/#ixzz1eWxCt5q1
Showing posts with label urban wildlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label urban wildlife. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Giant fox caught in Maidstone
A giant fox, that is twice the size of a normal specimen, has been captured in Kent, sparking fears that the animals are growing larger because of ‘easy living’ on bins and scraps.
The male fox weighed two stone or 26.5lb and was four foot long, about the height of a seven-year-old child.
The giant fox was captured and killed in Maidstone after a cat in the local neighbourhood was killed.
It was trapped in a cage and put down in a humane way by Keith Talbot, a local vet.
He said foxes had been seen around his parents house days after their 19-year-old tabby cat was found killed on the doorstep.
Zoologists and experts said foxes said foxes could be growing bigger because of ‘easy pickings’ of food scraps in dust bins or even left out by animal lovers.
A dog fox will often grow bigger than the rest of the pack because the social system means the alpha male gets most of the food and the rest get leftovers.
There are thought to be at least 34,000 urban foxes in Britain.
Recently there has been concerns the animals could pose a threat after twins Isabella and Lola Kouparis were attacked in their beds in London.
However animal rights campaigners point out that most foxes live on insects and small mammals and pose no harm to humans unless they are frightened.
The Field Sports Channel is offering £100 for the best story of the largest fox. One taker has come forward with claims he shot a fox weighting 34lb in 2009, although this has not been confirmed with photographic evidence.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8235940/Giant-fox-caught-in-Maidstone.html
The male fox weighed two stone or 26.5lb and was four foot long, about the height of a seven-year-old child.
The giant fox was captured and killed in Maidstone after a cat in the local neighbourhood was killed.
It was trapped in a cage and put down in a humane way by Keith Talbot, a local vet.
He said foxes had been seen around his parents house days after their 19-year-old tabby cat was found killed on the doorstep.
Zoologists and experts said foxes said foxes could be growing bigger because of ‘easy pickings’ of food scraps in dust bins or even left out by animal lovers.
A dog fox will often grow bigger than the rest of the pack because the social system means the alpha male gets most of the food and the rest get leftovers.
There are thought to be at least 34,000 urban foxes in Britain.
Recently there has been concerns the animals could pose a threat after twins Isabella and Lola Kouparis were attacked in their beds in London.
However animal rights campaigners point out that most foxes live on insects and small mammals and pose no harm to humans unless they are frightened.
The Field Sports Channel is offering £100 for the best story of the largest fox. One taker has come forward with claims he shot a fox weighting 34lb in 2009, although this has not been confirmed with photographic evidence.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8235940/Giant-fox-caught-in-Maidstone.html
Giant fox caught in Maidstone
A giant fox, that is twice the size of a normal specimen, has been captured in Kent, sparking fears that the animals are growing larger because of ‘easy living’ on bins and scraps.
The male fox weighed two stone or 26.5lb and was four foot long, about the height of a seven-year-old child.
The giant fox was captured and killed in Maidstone after a cat in the local neighbourhood was killed.
It was trapped in a cage and put down in a humane way by Keith Talbot, a local vet.
He said foxes had been seen around his parents house days after their 19-year-old tabby cat was found killed on the doorstep.
Zoologists and experts said foxes said foxes could be growing bigger because of ‘easy pickings’ of food scraps in dust bins or even left out by animal lovers.
A dog fox will often grow bigger than the rest of the pack because the social system means the alpha male gets most of the food and the rest get leftovers.
There are thought to be at least 34,000 urban foxes in Britain.
Recently there has been concerns the animals could pose a threat after twins Isabella and Lola Kouparis were attacked in their beds in London.
However animal rights campaigners point out that most foxes live on insects and small mammals and pose no harm to humans unless they are frightened.
The Field Sports Channel is offering £100 for the best story of the largest fox. One taker has come forward with claims he shot a fox weighting 34lb in 2009, although this has not been confirmed with photographic evidence.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8235940/Giant-fox-caught-in-Maidstone.html
The male fox weighed two stone or 26.5lb and was four foot long, about the height of a seven-year-old child.
The giant fox was captured and killed in Maidstone after a cat in the local neighbourhood was killed.
It was trapped in a cage and put down in a humane way by Keith Talbot, a local vet.
He said foxes had been seen around his parents house days after their 19-year-old tabby cat was found killed on the doorstep.
Zoologists and experts said foxes said foxes could be growing bigger because of ‘easy pickings’ of food scraps in dust bins or even left out by animal lovers.
A dog fox will often grow bigger than the rest of the pack because the social system means the alpha male gets most of the food and the rest get leftovers.
There are thought to be at least 34,000 urban foxes in Britain.
Recently there has been concerns the animals could pose a threat after twins Isabella and Lola Kouparis were attacked in their beds in London.
However animal rights campaigners point out that most foxes live on insects and small mammals and pose no harm to humans unless they are frightened.
The Field Sports Channel is offering £100 for the best story of the largest fox. One taker has come forward with claims he shot a fox weighting 34lb in 2009, although this has not been confirmed with photographic evidence.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8235940/Giant-fox-caught-in-Maidstone.html
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Mystery car brake cutter turns out to be suburban fox
Jo Steele - 9th December, 2009Over eight months, someone had gone around cutting the brake cables on nine cars – three Mercedes, a BMW, three Fords, a Nissan and an Austin – in three suburban streets.
Was it a neighbour with a grudge – or a reckless vandal? Detectives examined the damaged vehicles, studied CCTV footage and staked out the patch in West Wickham near Bromley, Kent.
But the breakthrough came when they went to Prof Stephen Harris, an expert in biological science in Bristol University, who identified the cuts and marks as being made by animals – probably foxes.
‘Foxes chew a wide range of objects – rubber and other balls, cables, garden hoses, shoes, gloves and pipes under houses when they can gain access through a broken airbrick,’ he said.
‘It appears they also occasionally develop a taste for brake fluids.’
Sgt George Blair, head of the West Wickham Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: ‘We were pleased to be able to find an innocent explanation for the cause of the damage.
‘I would like to thank Prof Stephen Harris for his expertise and invaluable help in clearing up this matter.
‘However, damage like this can be dangerous, so I continue to advise residents to safety check their brakes by applying them before moving off’.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/805489-mystery-car-brake-cutter-turns-out-to-be-suburban-fox
Mystery car brake cutter turns out to be suburban fox
Jo Steele - 9th December, 2009Over eight months, someone had gone around cutting the brake cables on nine cars – three Mercedes, a BMW, three Fords, a Nissan and an Austin – in three suburban streets.
Was it a neighbour with a grudge – or a reckless vandal? Detectives examined the damaged vehicles, studied CCTV footage and staked out the patch in West Wickham near Bromley, Kent.
But the breakthrough came when they went to Prof Stephen Harris, an expert in biological science in Bristol University, who identified the cuts and marks as being made by animals – probably foxes.
‘Foxes chew a wide range of objects – rubber and other balls, cables, garden hoses, shoes, gloves and pipes under houses when they can gain access through a broken airbrick,’ he said.
‘It appears they also occasionally develop a taste for brake fluids.’
Sgt George Blair, head of the West Wickham Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: ‘We were pleased to be able to find an innocent explanation for the cause of the damage.
‘I would like to thank Prof Stephen Harris for his expertise and invaluable help in clearing up this matter.
‘However, damage like this can be dangerous, so I continue to advise residents to safety check their brakes by applying them before moving off’.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/805489-mystery-car-brake-cutter-turns-out-to-be-suburban-fox
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wildlife skyscraper wins design award
Garnett Netherwood Architects has won the Holbeck Urban Village Wildlife Design Competition.June 2009. Garnett Netherwood Architects were declared the winners of the first Holbeck Urban Village Wildlife Competition with an ambitious design for a Green Tower Structure which is to cater for the wildlife of Holbeck Urban Village. There were 31 entries from architects, artists and designers from as far and wide as Mumbai, New York, Seoul and Rotterdam.
Garnett Netherwood's design is a skyscraper for wildlife made from the recycled materials of demolished buildings. It is to house a number of species and if successful could provide a template for many more green towers within and around the area. The tower structure resonates with the Italianate towers which are a well known landmark on the Holbeck and Leeds skyline.
Hopefully these green towers will attract wildlife back into the urban environment.
Neil Oxlee of Garnett Netherwood said "We did believe that Holbeck Urban Village was the place to create such an iconic structure. The idea is well suited to an urban environment and will provide many environmental advantages if constructed. This structure could serve as a talking point whilst having an extremely positive effect on the local wildlife. Since we found out we had won there has been a lot of positivity towards the design which will hopefully lead to a full version of the scheme being created."
Competition judge Geoff Ward who is the chair of RIBA Yorkshire commented "The Urban Takeback design had the right balance of ambition alongside a sensitive understanding of the local environment. Also, its high visibility gives it potential to be a focal point for engaging and attracting the community."
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Peregrines at the Tate Modern
There are around 12 peregrine falcons in London. This one, hatched on the Tate Modern in 2008, was seen at the Barbican with St Pauls and Tate Modern in the background. Copyright Peter Kenyon.Make a date with peregrines and the RSPB at the Tate Modern
June 2009. The annual RSPB peregrine watch resumes outside London's Tate Modern gallery next month. Staff and volunteers will breakout the telescopes and binoculars again to bring these amazing birds closer to the public.
June 2009. The annual RSPB peregrine watch resumes outside London's Tate Modern gallery next month. Staff and volunteers will breakout the telescopes and binoculars again to bring these amazing birds closer to the public.
RSPB trailer will be set-up every day from midday through to 7pm, starting Saturday 18 June up to and including Sunday 13 September.
3 chicks hatched
The star peregrines, Misty and Bert, have successfully fledged three chicks this year, two females and a male. The chicks will soon be learning to fly and look after themselves.
The birds perch on the raised brickwork near the top of the Tate's iconic chimney. They are creatures of habit and spend hours on the chimney, making it an ideal point to watch them.
200 miles per hour
Peregrines are the world's fastest birds, reaching speeds of up to 200 miles an hour when diving on prey. That's roughly 200 peregrine body lengths per second; faster than a fighter jet with its afterburners on full-blast (150 body lengths p/s)!
London has a dozen peregrines
London now has more than a dozen peregrines that have arrived naturally in the city and decided to stay. Not all have successfully bred this year, and one new arrival is a female peregrine that has identification rings on her legs. This has allowed us to track her back to the south coast where she hatched on a traditional cliff-edge nest in May 2007.
Urban peregrines
Peregrines are now commonly seen in towns and cities across the UK. Other nesting sites include Battersea Power Station, tower blocks in Tower Hamlets, Croydon, Sutton, and in Regent's Park. Cathedrals in Lincoln and Chichester, Cardiff clock tower and Manchester's Arndale shopping centre.
1,500 + pairs in the UK
After a population crash in the 1960s, peregrine numbers have recovered steadily and recent surveys show that there are now almost 1,500 peregrines pairs in the UK. They have traditionally been associated with wild crags or lonely sea cliffs but changing landscapes mean they have adapted to living in more unlikely places.
We'll be asking visitors at our Date at the Tate to show their support for our native birds of prey, by signing a pledge calling for tougher action against those who continue to illegally persecute them
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Cat food diet helps fat hedgehog
Tuesday April 22 2008 06:12 GMT
A hefty hedgehog has lost nearly a fifth of his body weight after wildlife vets put him on a special diet.
Podgy George had grown to the size of a football after snaffling the high-fat treats left out for birds.
So he was put on a strict diet last November of just a few spoonfuls of CAT FOOD every day.
After a few months, he's now gone from 2.2kg to 1.7kg, but is still on his diet as he needs to lose 850g more to be a healthy weight.
George was originally too fat to move, but now he and his companion Mildred, who live at a wildlife centre in Leatherhead, Surrey, even have an exercise space!
A special rabbit run has been carefully built to keep them away from the high-fat bird treats while still getting space to roam around.
George was so fat he didn't feel the cold and so unlike most hedgehogs, he did not hibernate this winter. That's some prickly podge!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7360000/newsid_7360000/7360070.stm?ls
A hefty hedgehog has lost nearly a fifth of his body weight after wildlife vets put him on a special diet.
Podgy George had grown to the size of a football after snaffling the high-fat treats left out for birds.
So he was put on a strict diet last November of just a few spoonfuls of CAT FOOD every day.
After a few months, he's now gone from 2.2kg to 1.7kg, but is still on his diet as he needs to lose 850g more to be a healthy weight.
George was originally too fat to move, but now he and his companion Mildred, who live at a wildlife centre in Leatherhead, Surrey, even have an exercise space!
A special rabbit run has been carefully built to keep them away from the high-fat bird treats while still getting space to roam around.
George was so fat he didn't feel the cold and so unlike most hedgehogs, he did not hibernate this winter. That's some prickly podge!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7360000/newsid_7360000/7360070.stm?ls
Friday, May 1, 2009
Gardeners issued hedgehogs alert
2:00pm Wednesday 29th April 2009By Richard Catton
GARDENERS and allotment keepers are being asked to consider the danger to hedgehogs when using rat traps.
The plea comes after an animal had to be put down last week when its leg became badly infected after being caught in one of the traps, which are now widely available to shoppers in garden centres and hardware stores.
Dr Toni Bunnell, who runs a hedgehog sanctuary in Holgate, York, says she knew of two cases in the past week where hedgehogs have been seriously injured by the traps.
“There’s been an increase in people using rat traps recently,” she said. “Maybe people are just keener to get rid of them now, but there’s a new type of rat trap available now which is easier to set. The old ones were not easy to use without injuring your fingers.”
Dr Bunnell has seen the injuries which can be caused to larger animals who stray close to the traps.
She said: “I had one hedgehog brought in – it crushed its leg in a trap and then dragged the trap round for a few days and the leg became infected. It couldn’t be saved. They just can’t survive with an injured leg.”
Another hedgehog was taken to a vet used by Dr Bunnell, with a similar injury, and staff there are hoping it will make a recovery.
Instead of using the traps, which use powerful serrated jaws to crush the rats, Dr Bunnell said the safest ways to eliminate the vermin, without causing injury to other animals, is to lay poison in a tunnel which other animals or birds don’t have access to.
“Don’t even put it under a shed because everything goes under sheds,” she said. “It has to be encased somewhere that nothing else can get to, other than a rat.”
European hedgehogs are becoming increasingly rare in the UK and are listed as a species of conservation concern under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. They also have partial protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and it is illegal to trap them or kill them without a licence.
An RSPCA spokesman said: “Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is a legal requirement for anyone setting a trap to take reasonable precautions to prevent injury to protected wildlife.
“This means that a trap designed to catch rats should be placed undercover where it can trap only the intended species, and not be set out in the open.”
http://www.thepress.co.uk/news/4328914.Gardeners_in_York_issued_hedgehogs_alert/
PHOTO: G L WILSON
Monday, April 27, 2009
'Giant' hedgehog put on a diet
A rescued hedgehog that is four times the size of a normal animal is having her food intake restricted to help her slim down.
Huff Puff tips the scales at 2.04kg (4lb 6oz) while the average female hedgehog weighs about 600g (1.3lb).
Maureen Webb, who runs the Furze Pig Hedgehog Rescue Centre in Herefordshire, said the podgy hedgehog just kept "growing and growing".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8021015.stm
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Huff Puff: Britain's biggest hedgehog?
Huff Puff the hedgehog is thought to be Britain's biggest at an average of three and a half times the size of her spiky contemporaries.
By Aislinn Simpson
Last Updated: 10:29PM BST 24 Apr 2009
The nine-month-old female weighs in at 2.04kg - the weight of a small cat - and is the size of a football.
She piled on the pounds after gorging on cat biscuits and dog food at the Furze Pig Hedgehog Rescue Centre in Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, where she was taken as an orphan.
The 15 other hedgehogs at the centre weigh around 600g each, so staff have decided to put Huff-Puff on a calorie-controlled diet.
Maureen Webb, 60, who runs the centre with husband Derek, said: "I've looked after hedgehogs for 20 years but have never seen anything like Huff-Puff.
"She just seems to keep growing. I don't feed her any more than the others but she's getting bigger and bigger.
"It's amazing because she was a tiny little thing when she came in.
"I've no idea why she keeps growing but she doesn't enjoy moving much so it could be that. I don't feed her any more than the others.
"I'm reducing her diet now and cutting breakfast out all together. I suppose it's a bit like people - some only have to look at cream teas and they put weight on."
Huff Puff was rescued after she was found cold and shivering under a garden shed in October last year.
Maureen named her new arrival because of her "stroppy" nature.
"She's a real little madam and a right prima donna. When you approach her she huffs and puffs - hence the name," she said.
"The problem is I can't release her until she's the right size because she won't survive."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5216628/Huff-Puff-Britains-biggest-hedgehog.html
By Aislinn SimpsonLast Updated: 10:29PM BST 24 Apr 2009
The nine-month-old female weighs in at 2.04kg - the weight of a small cat - and is the size of a football.
She piled on the pounds after gorging on cat biscuits and dog food at the Furze Pig Hedgehog Rescue Centre in Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, where she was taken as an orphan.
The 15 other hedgehogs at the centre weigh around 600g each, so staff have decided to put Huff-Puff on a calorie-controlled diet.
Maureen Webb, 60, who runs the centre with husband Derek, said: "I've looked after hedgehogs for 20 years but have never seen anything like Huff-Puff.
"She just seems to keep growing. I don't feed her any more than the others but she's getting bigger and bigger.
"It's amazing because she was a tiny little thing when she came in.
"I've no idea why she keeps growing but she doesn't enjoy moving much so it could be that. I don't feed her any more than the others.
"I'm reducing her diet now and cutting breakfast out all together. I suppose it's a bit like people - some only have to look at cream teas and they put weight on."
Huff Puff was rescued after she was found cold and shivering under a garden shed in October last year.
Maureen named her new arrival because of her "stroppy" nature.
"She's a real little madam and a right prima donna. When you approach her she huffs and puffs - hence the name," she said.
"The problem is I can't release her until she's the right size because she won't survive."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5216628/Huff-Puff-Britains-biggest-hedgehog.html
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Man Frees Trapped Fox In Fence
Megan McNaughtMarch 26, 2009 12:00am
ANTHONY Distasio thought it was a joke when a jogger knocked on his door at 6.30am and told him a fox was stuck in his fence.
"I had to ask whether it was April Fools Day," the East Malvern man said.
Then he put two and two together. His children's pet rabbits were loose in the back yard, so a fox could well be on the prowl.
The fox appeared to have been trapped for several hours, because it had gnawed the top off several fence pickets.
"It had got itself well and truly stuck and it wasn't happy about it," Mr Distasio said.
"It was very snarly and was biting at anyone that went near it."
Mr Distasio said he knew foxes were vermin, but he didn't want to sign its death warrant. He grabbed a shovel and, from a safe distance, prised it off the fence.
"It kept trying to bite us, but once we got the panel off it took off," he said.
"Hopefully, after that experience it won't want to come back, but we will be locking our rabbits up from now on."
RSPCA chief Dr Hugh Wirth said foxes were more common in suburban areas than most people realised. "Research has shown that there are five foxes every square kilometre in Melbourne," he said.
"They are more common here than in London."
Mr Wirth said foxes in urban areas had a ready food supply, thanks to dog owners who left meaty bites outside.
They also eat small pets and native animals such as possums, as well as ducks and geese.
"Until people start disposing of their rubbish better and addressing the way they feed their pets, this problem with foxes is only going to get worse," he said.
"It should be up to councils to provide pest control, but they won't take responsibility."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25242854-2862,00.html
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Urban Fox Count: The Daily Telegraph launches study to count urban foxes
The first urban fox count in nearly 15 years is launched today by The Daily Telegraph in an attempt to find out just how many of the animals are living in the country's towns and cities.By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Last Updated: 9:17AM GMT 28 Feb 2009
The number of foxes being drawn to urban living is thought to have increased significantly in the last two decades but no study has been undertaken to assess the population since 1995.
Now The Daily Telegraph and Telegraph.co.uk are to carry out The Urban Fox Count, with the help of readers, to draw a map of the country showing the number of animals living in built-up areas.
The data will be fed to biologists at the mammal research unit at Bristol University, where they are carrying out the longest running study into foxes in the UK, as part of their ongoing work.
The count will also examine how foxes are becoming bolder, as an increasing number of homeowners are reporting finding animals intruding into their homes and are no longer deterred by humans.
As part of The Daily Telegraph's count, the Wildlife Trusts will also be looking at the information in order to gauge the public's engagement with the nocturnal creatures and interaction with other animals.
Foxes were first noticed in towns and cities in the 1940s and have been on the increase since, attracted by a plentiful supply of food from bins and litter on the streets.
But life for an urban fox is short, with an average lifespan of 18 months, because disease, usually mange, among numbers spreads more quickly in the towns and cities.
Colin Booty, RSPCA senior wildlife scientist, said welfare groups receive more and more reports of foxes living in towns and cities but he said there was little up-to-date information and welcomed the opportunity to build a picture of where foxes are living.
"Fox density in urban areas is related to housing type," he said. "Semis with large gardens are perfect for foxes but Victorian terraces and modern developments are not so favourable."
The mammal research unit at Bristol University currently has a number of ongoing projects looking into the behaviour of foxes in the UK.
Ellie Whittaker, a researcher at the Bristol University mammal unit, said: "It is always good to have even a vague census of foxes. Where are they most abundant? Where are they being seen? Where are they not being seen? Where they used to be seen? The animals move around a lot geographically and in a lot of cities the population of foxes is absolutely exploding.
"It is always interesting to know a real picture. There are not a lot of studies going on at the moment so the only way to find out more is to ask the public."
Miss Whittaker, who is currently researching the social behaviour of the animals, said it would be particularly interesting to see how brave the animals were becoming.
"Foxes are definitely becoming desensitised to people," she added.
There are thought to be 10,000 foxes in London and the animals have been spotted in the choir stalls at St Paul's cathedral and outside No 10 Downing Street. They are also increasingly brave in other cities with one fox coming onto the pitch at Parkhead in Glasgow during the Old Firm game between Celtic and Rangers.
Dr Jonathan Reynolds, at the Game and Conservancy Wildlife Trust, said no research has been done into fox numbers since the hunting ban. He said The Daily Telegraph survey would show a snapshot in the same way as the RSPB's Great Garden Bird Watch shows a picture of bird life.
"Foxes have been on the increase in urban areas since the 1940s when they first started colonising towns and cities but we have also had a number of set backs in the population because of the mange and other diseases. At the moment it is difficult to say what the overall picture is."
The Wildlife Trust encouraged people to take part in The Urban Fox Count and be inspired by wildlife in the UK.
A spokesman said: "The Wildlife Trusts welcome the opportunity for everyone to find out more about wildlife. There is a wealth of wildlife on our doorstep and we believe it's great for people of all ages to be aware, show an interest and share their experiences too."
To take part in the survey please send details of your sightings of foxes to ukfoxes@telegraph.co.uk. Please include your name, the full postcode of the location where you see the fox or foxes, your photograph of the animals, if you have one, and a maximum of 25 words of commentary.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/4862873/Urban-Fox-Count-The-Daily-Telegraph-launches-study-to-count-urban-foxes.html
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Foxes 'nest' in tree
A family of foxes has made its home 30ft up in the air at the top of a tree in Suffolk.Donna Martell, from Ipswich, discovered the unlikely den after noticing a young fox club scaling the branches.
It's thought the foxes, which usually live in burrows underground, were escaping the cold weather, reports The Sun.
Miss Martell, 26, and partner Carl Clark, 33, say the family has been living in the tree in their garden since January.
"When I first saw them I called Carl and said there was a cat stuck in the tree," said Miss Martell,
"But when we looked closer we realised it was a fox up there, not just one but two. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them up so high.
"I think they must like it up there because there are vines and branches which they can lay on in the sunshine during the day."
Julian Roughton, Director of Suffolk Wildlife Trust, said it was very unusual for foxes to climb as high as trees and especially make a home in them.
He said: "They are good climbers when they need to be but this is certainly not normal behaviour.
"It might be that they are out and about feeding at night, but during the day they are happy to lay back and bask in a sunny spot."
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3215058.html
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