Almost 100 birds killed in 'frenzied' fox attack at Angus farm
A bloodthirsty fox killed nearly 100 valuable game birds at an Angus farm in what has been described as a "frenzied attack."
Mr Hardy counts up the cost of the fox's killing spree.
- By Graeme Bletcher
- Published in the Courier : 26.07.11
- Published online : 26.07.11 @ 10.52am
Gamekeeper William Hardy walked out to a scene of carnage on Monday morning following the slaughter, which saw 72 ducks and 26 pheasants killed in their pens, at Invergighty near Boysack.
It is thought the animal struck in the early hours and managed to scale a large fence, before effectively walking a tightrope on a net suspended four feet off the ground.
Each of the holes in the net is one-and-a-half inches wide and it appears the fox balanced on the thin sections, before using its weight to reach down to the birds and attack them through the mesh.
Mr Hardy said it seemed the killings had been made for sport rather than food, as so many birds were targeted at random.
After laying out the carcases in a large heap to survey the extent of the damage, the gamekeeper claimed he had never seen anything of such a ferocious nature in all his 50 years in the industry.
"We have known there has been a fox about for a while, but it looks like it has gone right to the top of the fencing and walked on the top of the net," he said. "It has been out there through the night killing the birds and pulling their legs and heads off.
"It is probably a cub because it is just killing them and we found a pad mark that would suggest it is just a cub."
The birds are reared to be sold on or put into game shoots and those killed were worth an estimated £450 — or more if used in a commercial shoot. Almost the entire flock was wiped out, leaving the breeders to put the injured birds down humanely.
After killing the birds it appears the fox attempted to bury one of the ducks, to return for it later.
"I have never seen a fox go on top of a net to get to birds," said Mr Hardy. "This goes to demonstrate that foxes are not the cute and cuddly animals that some people think they are — they are killers.
"It is a massive attack. I have never seen these kind of numbers killed in one night before."
Mr Hardy said an electric fence would now be put up around both the duck and pheasant pens and the fox is likely to be shot if it is spotted again.
11.47am - 26.07.2011 Caadfael - Forfar, Nuclear free Scotland Report This
Another fox wreaking havoc with Scotland's economy!
11.52am - 26.07.2011 Andrew - Dundee, Scotland Report This
AS I understand this - the fox killed the birds in a way that nature intended it could. Had the birds been reared and then sold thier fate was was sealed - shot for man's sport.
05.27pm - 26.07.2011 Connie Andrews - Oregon, United States Report This
Foxes do not kill for "sport." They need to eat for survival each day. They will "overdo it" when they find a source since they kill & then cache food. They return to cache & bury when able. The fox could only kill and not cache his bonanza of food. Sorry for loss! Now fox will be shot, too.
05.36pm - 26.07.2011 Kit Davidson Animal Aid - TONBRIDGE, UK Report This
Yeah alright!If I was not opposed to performing wild animals in circuses, I suggest this fox could be very valuable. Even Penn and Teller could say "You fooled us!" A fox's muzzle and jaws stuck through a 1.5 inch mesh net could not open, even if the birds all willingly congregated at the sag centre
07.59pm - 26.07.2011 Alexander - Montrose, Angus Report This
If the wild birds were in the wild, the fox might have caught one, the rest would have escaped, as they were captive in rickety pens they were as they say, sitting ducks.
08.08am - 27.07.2011 Catherine Luke - Zurich, Switzerland Report This
The difference being, Andrew, that the birds would have been humanely shot and not slaughtered, then they would have been eaten! I have seen the damage foxes do and it is a serious thing for farmers!
08.35am - 27.07.2011 J Robertson - Forfar, Scotland Report This
A fox attack is far more traumatic for the birds,they are reared with care and although the shooting of them may be a sport the end result is that they are usually eaten.Next time you buy meat/eggs in the supermarket ask yourself where it came from and what sort of life it had.(their not thier btw)
08.59am - 27.07.2011 keeper - argyll, UK Report This
Are there Pine Marten in the area? Sounds more like their MO than a fox. PS why no electric fence if foxes are known to be about?
09.10am - 27.07.2011 jack sparrow - arbroath, scotland Report This
If nature had anything to do with it, these birds would have been free and the fox would never have been able to commit mass murder.
09.31am - 27.07.2011 Callum - Perth, UK Report This
I hope The Courier will be balanced and report on foxes that have been shot by gamekeepers to allow this "sport" to continue! And why does The Courier reporting continue to evocative words such as "bloodthirsty", "killing spree" and "frenzied" to describe a wild animal predating to survive?
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