|
A fox named as “Depp”, that was found hanging upside down in a plum tree, is checked for injuries at the Fox Project's “Den” office on September 06, 2024 in Paddock Wood, England. The fox was reported by a member of the public whose dogs had alerted them to its misadventure. The animal was taken to the Fox Project's 'Den' facility to be checked over and would be later sent to the vet for an x-ray with a suspected leg injury. The Fox Project is a wildlife charity rescuing and rehabilitating sick and injured foxes and orphaned cubs. Operating daily, their specialised ambulances cover Kent and Greater London, transporting foxes to their Paddock Wood hospital for medical care and cubs to 'foster' gardens for recovery. The charity's goal is to nurture the animals back to health and independence for their eventual release, while also providing public guidance on humane deterrents and fox protection. The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, is an omnivorous mostly nocturnal mammal, widespread across the whole of mainland Britain and the Isle of Wight with populations estimated to be between 150,000 and 450,000. Numbers fluctuate depending on the time of year, with many cubs born in springtime but with a 60% mortality rate. While numbers in urban areas continue to rise, it is estimated that there has been an overall decline in the species by 40% in the UK between 1995 and 2019, according to a British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) survey. Figures that can be attributed to loss of rural habitat and the expansion of urban areas, within which foxes can easily adapt and thrive. Foxes divide opinions, either loved or maligned, and often villainised in popular culture, seen by many as crafty and devious creatures most famously Beatrix Potter's' Peter Rabbit. A hunting ban was introduced by the Labour Government in 2004 which banned the use of dogs to hunt foxes and other wild mammals in England and Wales. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
|
