The local Coca Cola Factory to us (20 minutes away) had planned a culling session, and we were outraged! We stood with the local residence who partitioned in social media campaigns to stop the cull, and we succeeded!
Coca Cola has since publicly apologised for their planned mass extermination and have stated;
"We can confirm that we have stopped the practice of culling foxes with immediate effect and will never do so again."
"We are now in the process of finding an alternative, and more humane, control measure."
Vixens are pregnant this time of the year, so the barbaric act would have also killed their unborn cubs. The cubs have a hard enough time of their own surviving after birth with only 2-3 out of 5 making it out of the den.
It is about time companies (and such public companies at that) are more conscious about their methods of fox control. It doesn't take a genius to work out that they are obviously attracted to the area because of the factory and no doubt; the endless supply of food for them. Funnily enough like humans, foxes can become addicted to certain chemicals (but more on that in another post)! Also did they not do their research? Facts are the fox population will rise again as more foxes will move into the vacant territory, then re-produce to keep numbers up and their region safe from other fox intruders.
‘Territories made vacant by culling resident foxes are rapidly colonised by new individuals. The most effective strategies to resolve fox problems have primarily relied on non-lethal methods, focusing on preventative and deterrent strategies.’ - www.animalaid.org.uk
Got a fox hiding out under the shed or decking? It is most likely a pregnant vixen this time of the year, looking for her next den location. Check out our FAQ page for all the resources you need.
What is fox culling?
Fox culling is selective slaughtering to reduce the wild animal population.