Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Technician Jamie Brown says people should stop feeding the Red foxes at Beach Meadows Beach. The animals have set up a den at the municipal beach park for the past few years.
Brown says, “Wildlife can obviously turn on you at any time and you never know what they will do. If they have young around, the adult fox will protect the young and there could be consequences no one wants. You could get bit, clawed or injured. You may think they’re cute and cuddly but they’re still wildlife. We would like people to enjoy the wildlife when they get a chance to see it but don’t interact with them.”
This includes cleaning up garbage so they will maintain their natural diet of rodents, small mammals and eggs. He adds all domestic animals should be kept on a leash.
He also says it’s potentially harmful for wild animals to believe humans are a food source.
Brown says this is probably the same family returning each year to have more pups. He adds despite the number of people that go through Beach Meadows Beach the sand offers easy material in which to carve out a den and there is plenty of natural food in the area, including eggs from coastal birds.
“A beach is a prime area for a fox. With the abundance of food and an easy den, they’re going to set up. Please keep your distance.”
Cute, cuddly and dangerous
Cute, cuddly and dangerous
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Published on
September 17, 2009
- Published on January 31, 2010
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Mark Roberts/The
They may be foxy but they’re still dangerous wild animals.
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