General Chat

I fully agree with Liz about the nature lesson at school. If it's still under the Portacabin tomorrow. it may have cubs. Tell the children keep away and leave it alone - a bit of self discipline can do no harm!! The fox won't attack unless cornered.
There's many a bug in the school pond that is probably more harmful than can be caught from a fox that isn't touched!!!

maggie

I wouldn't think there was a problem. I used to be a midday supervisor in a school and I am sure we wouldn't have panicked, it was as Sally said probably hiding from the kids, perhaps got caught out snoozing in the sun or something and bolted under there when they came out. If there are food scraps about it will tempted so best just to make sure the children don't leave any food out and just watch to see if it turns up again.
Interesting for them to see a fox, had many seen one up close like that before? A chance for a nature lesson at school.
Lizx

I would guess the fox that sparked this thread probably hid from the kids under the Portacabin as it recognized they were just as much wild animals as it was and thought they might try and eat it. ;) Kids being what they are at playtime I can imagine them doing that. :)

I would consider it highly unlikely that a fox would get near enough to a human being to hurt it - vice versa. They are generally very shy and avoid humans whenever possible. They are becoming more prevalent in built up areas I know because people leave food hanging around but I would not class them as a health hazard by any means

Never heard of any foxes carrying rabies in the UK recently, but foxes are the main carrier on the continent. I see lots of rabies when I am in africa as well.

Personally, I wouldnt take the chance of getting bitten by a fox and rabies is just one of the issues.

Again, personally, I wouldn't tolerate one anywhere near me, not least cos I cant stand the smell of a dog fox, lol, but apart from that, they cause too much damage to small livestock.

Well meaning people can tolerate them, but not me. Not at all.

But one things for sure - mention fox and the fighting starts, lol

There are loads of them roaming the streets of London nowadays, living on estates and scavenging for food in the rubbish - they are so commonplace now that nobody seems to take any notice of them.

They are as bold as brass, too - they don't just come out at night - they roam the streets in broad daylight now. I've never heard of anyone being hurt by them, though (although one "friendly" fox took a fancy to my daughter one time and followed her for ages - she ended up running to try to lose him but the fox ran after her until she ran into a shop! Was probably because she was eating a hot pasty at the time and he could smell it!). I don't think they are seen as a real threat to anyone, though.

Like others have said, there are other things that children are more likely to come into contact with like cat/dog/bird/mice/rat excrement that can harm them, rather than anything from a fox.

Athena

Thank you,Sally;-))

So when was the last time you heard of anyone being bitten by a rabid,animal,Ian?
Even In spain its very rare!

Bats do carry a virus(some) but its very,very rare for them to pass it on.
and as you said its a type of rabies virus,A type!

This from the defra site:
The viruses carried by bat species native to the UK are not classical rabies virus, the rabies strain carried by animals such as dogs, cats, foxes etc. EBLVs very rarely cross the species barrier from bats to other animals or humans. There have been no recorded cases of rabies in UK wildlife or pet animals. .

Unusual for a fox to be around at that time of day.Maybe it was unwell or hurt and had tucked itself away

google rabies UK

errr...hellooo? lol

Farmers kill foxes...?

Never in a million years!

lol

May carry, not definitely then and Rabies-like is NOT the same as rabies.
That's like saying a Snickers bar is Mars bar-like. Similar, yet totally different.

Plus the fox population does not carry rabies otherwise the farmers etc would be up in arms hunting the little critters to extinction.

Absolutely wrong

The UK is NOT rabies free.

In 2003 it was recognised that UK bats may carry a rabies-like virus, European Bat Lyssavirus 2 (EBL2). A man who was a bat handler died from EBL2 infection probably acquired in Scotland.

Foxes In the U.K do not Carry Rabies.

their only interest is to find food,they are shy creatures and are not interested in humans.

Great minds and all that Rosalind! :D

Foxes in the UK don't carry rabies, so that's one less thing to worry about. And like Ian said there will be plenty of other things roaming round where the kids are, especially bird excrement. Wouldn't worry about it.

I wouldnt worry about that, there will have been plenty of other things there before the fox, like rats, mice, other dogs, etc. Old basil is probably the least of your worries on that score!

HI

My main concern is that the children play on the field sit and roll on the ground they was their hands before eating but what if the children put hands in mounth before and the foex has been there before..

Kate

Foxes carry rabies, mange, distemper and all sorts of other antisocial and unpleasant diseases but will only bite if you manage to get hold of it.

A healthy fox is unlikely to let you touch it, so I wouldn't worry on that score. They dont attack!

But they are wild animals so the best course is to just leave them alone to get on with what they do best, which is being a wild animal. Unless they are causing problems. In which case opinion is divided on what to do with them.

I know what I do, but it may not be to the taste of others :-)