Mange a factor in lack of foxes
In reply to J Hanley ("Where have all the foxes gone?", Mailbox, January 7), I, too, have fed foxes for many years in my garden.
We had a very friendly pair we named Mr and Mrs Fox. But, after a few years, the male contracted mange, which eventually spread to the female and, I believe, other members of their family.
A study of foxes in an area of Bristol revealed 95 per cent of the population died in 20 months. Six years later, the population had slowly started to increase, but was still less than 10 per cent of what it was before the outbreak of mange.
The fact you have not been seeing as many foxes as you once did could be due to a mange epidemic.
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Since my two foxes had the disease, I have not seen any other foxes wandering the streets as they used to, or visiting my garden.
I do miss seeing them, but consider myself very lucky. One night in September, I went outside and at the top of the path was a very large and beautiful badger.
He's doing a wonderful job of destroying my garden, but I don't mind. He loves peanut butter sandwiches and peanuts, is definitely a boy and is now called Mr Badger.
Mrs D Lyons, Knighton.
I read with interest the article "Get rid of that doormat – if a fire starts you might trip on it" (Mercury, January 21) as there are no health and safety regulations prohibiting the use of doormats outside flats.
The council, supported by the fire service, has taken the view mats should not be placed outside its flats and has explained why (keeping fire escape routes clear of obstructions and tripping hazards), but it has nothing to do with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
If tenants have been told it is a health and safety issue, they can always challenge decisions such as these by contacting the Myth Busters Challenge Panel at:
www.hse.gov.uk/contact/ myth-busting.htm
Rosi Edwards, regional director, Health and Safety Executive, Midlands.
Without doubt the people of Leicester were passed by on a referendum in May 2010.
But why now when we see how this mayoral system works hasn't our local newspaper pressed to put things right?
Instead, it is happy to leave it to a businessman to have a go.
Other papers would ask readers to phone in on a simple "yes/no" poll, then publish the results.
Sad to say this isn't very likely to happen, as it seems the Leicester Mercury lives and breathes everything Sir Peter.
A Gill, Leicester.
Comments
by karinfall1955
Friday, January 25 2013, 7:23PM
“It is obviously an intended act of kindness feeding foxes but if foxes then why not rats? They should find enough natural food without encouraging them into gardens where they frequently wreak havoc if anyone is unfortunate enough to have hens. The fox is a wild animal, treat it as such.”