Don’t bring fox cubs into your home, urges SSPCA
“If you see a baby fox that you think needs help, please monitor them from a safe distance before intervening." – Chris Hogsden
The Scottish SPCA has urged members of the public not to handle fox cubs or bring them into their homes this spring, as litters are born and start to emerge from their dens.
Last year, the charity cared for 10 cubs which had been found by people in their gardens and brought into their homes. In many cases, the cubs had been fed milk and human food, which is not a suitable diet and can cause a cub to become bloated.
In one recent case seen by the charity, someone took a cub into their home because they thought it was a kitten.
If a fox has been separated from their family for several days, it can be very difficult to reunite them with their pack. This means that fox cubs taken from the wild often have to remain under the care of the charity for up to five or six months before they can be safely released at a time when they would naturally disperse in the wild.
Although it is necessary for them to undergo rehabilitation so that they can survive on their own, this kind of prolonged period in captivity can be very stressful for a wild animal.
Scottish SPCA centre manager Chris Hogsden said: “We are reminding the public to be wildlife wise around fox cubs as we come in to the busy spring and summer months at our wildlife hospital.
“If you see a baby fox that you think needs help, please monitor them from a safe distance before intervening.
“If a fox does need assistance, please call our animal helpline on 03000 999 999 for advice.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
