The MGS Forum
Gardening in mediterranean climates => Wildlife in the garden (birds, butterflies, and how to attract them) => Topic started by: JTh on August 01, 2013, 10:00:59 PM
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We haven’t seen wild foxes here the last few years, but they now seem to be back again; we found a dead one on the road just below our house a couple of days ago, obviously hit by a car.
This evening two foxes walked in through the gate just before it was getting dark, they were extremely playful, a bit nervous, but also very curious, and they emptied the dish we use to feed the birds and drank from the bird bath. They didn’t stay in one place for very long, but I had the camera nearby and managed to get some shots before it was too dark. As you can see, they came right up to our terrace, less than one meter from me.
Although it is great fun to watch them at such a short distance, I don’t know if I am entirely happy to have them this close. Greece has been free from rabies since 1987, but since October/November 2012, the status has changed, and until now, 24 animals have been diagnosed with rabies in northern Greece, 20 foxes, three dogs and a cat. None in Halkidiki, so far, but many in the Kilkis area, and just outside Thessaloniki, and north of here - in Serres. Of all zoonotic diseases, rabies is the one I fear the most.
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That's a great photograph JTh. Very well done! We get foxes here too. They are a terrible pest in Australia and devastating to indigenous wildlife, but I respect and admire them. They are survivors that's for sure. At least they don't eat rare perennials, like our local possums have been known to do!
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Yes Jorun a lovely 'photo. Looks like a young one to me and so perhaps sadly the dead one was one of it's parents and the young are getting less wary when exploring the neighbourhood!
We used to see them quite regularly here when we first came to Italy and Colin took some 'photos of one that used to visit the garden for scraps we put out for it. Unfortunately it only came at night and the 'photos were not very good --he enjoyed "camping out" to get them though.
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I believe the dead one was one of the cubs from the same litter, they were probably born this spring. In Augsut they should be able to take care of themselves. I was surprised to see that they seemed to seek human company, this is not exactly a heavily populated area!