Photo by Photo submitted
CUDDLY KITS – These kits were captured when conservation officers tried to relocate a fox family last Thursday in Porter Creek. The animals were released when it proved impossible to catch the adults and remaining siblings. Relocating only a few members of the family is not an option because the chances of the kits surviving on their own are low to nil. Photo courtesy MARY VANDERKOP/GOVERNMENT OF YUKON
An increase in calls about foxes making their homes in neighbourhoods around Whitehorse has led local conservation officers to warn about the dangers of feeding wild animals.
An increase in calls about foxes making their homes in neighbourhoods around Whitehorse has led local conservation officers to warn about the dangers of feeding wild animals.
Conservation officers have been called out 10 of the last 14 days to respond to fox incidents, officer Kris Gustafson, the manager of enforcement and compliance with Environment Yukon, said today.
Several homes in Whitehorse have fox families denning in their yards, usually under a deck or shed. That suggests the animals are comfortable around humans.
But Gustafson warns that feeding the foxes is not doing the animals any favours, especially in the summer, when small mammals like voles are plentiful.
"You are doing them a disservice,” Gustafson said.
Foxes are naturally thin and their fur commonly looks thin and patchy at this time of year because they are shedding.
It is an offence under the Wildlife Act to feed dangerous wildlife. The ticket for a first-time offence is $115.
Once a family of foxes has made a den under a deck or shed, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to relocate them.
Litters can be as large as five, six or even seven pups, and the manpower and time required to corral that many animals, plus the adults for relocation, is often a challenge.
"If you can only catch one or two pups, they will die on their own,” Gustafson said.
"Sometimes you can hold them for a day or two, but if you can't catch the rest, it's in their best interest to bring them back to where they can from.”
Relocation can also be dangerous for the animals because they may be unfamiliar with where to find food.
No foxes have been relocated so far this year and none of the animals have been killed.
Gustafson said a few pups have been caught, but officers have not been able to trap the adults, which means the pups have been brought back to the dens.
As it stands, conservation officers have been instructing residents what to do in the meantime.
It is best to let the foxes move out on their own, which happens generally by mid-July or August.
To minimize the risk of foxes moving in, homeowners should block off any gaps in and under decks, sheds and house foundations.
They should also bury a wire apron around the perimeter of the structure to prevent digging.
Foxes can also be discouraged from a den site by creating a light disturbance such as noise or frequent human activity.
The public is being asked to report incidents of people feeding foxes or other dangerous wildlife right away to the TIPP line 1-800-661-0525.
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Comments (9)
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flyingfur on Jun 20, 2013 at 1:25 am
South of 60: I read the article thanks. That said, the bins do tend to have festering refuse in them and so attract the bears...I agree with you on that.
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Josey Wales on Jun 19, 2013 at 7:55 am
yes indeed do not feed the foxes or any other wildlife!
The photo in today's paper (06/19)...is wrong.
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north_of_60 on Jun 19, 2013 at 5:04 am
furball, you missed the point, go read the post again.
Stuff in the bottom of the bins can be there for weeks with alternate week pick-up.
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flyingfur on Jun 18, 2013 at 4:08 am
North of 60: The City of Whitehorse picks up once a week (one week compost and the next week garbage). Placing food in one bin or another will not make a difference...it still gets left on curb.
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north_of_60 on Jun 17, 2013 at 4:34 am
" What about all the bears killed up here over the last few years?"
That's because the City forces people to use bear-accessible trash containers and only picks them up every two weeks. This gives the food-garbage plenty of time to get ripe and attractive to bears.
The obvious solution is not to put food scraps in the garbage. Unfortunately that requires far more intelligence than most can muster.
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what about...... on Jun 17, 2013 at 1:12 am
@ jackie ward.......the article you quote actually said 90 bears total, with 5 of those bears being grizzlies and the rest being black bears. However, that being said, a bear cull of this magnitude in an area of Alaska that is likely seeing an over-harvest of moose by its human population, seems out of whack with "wildlife management." It's also disheartening to read your comments on newcomers to the YT being to blame for recent wildlife shootings by the CO's. Some of the worst offenders here in the YT for lack of stewardship,are those that are born and bred. And in support of what "flying fur" has to say about CO's---they are the ones who have to do the dirty work like culling bears, foxes, etc....they are not the ones to blame.
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Rem Ricks on Jun 16, 2013 at 6:03 am
I think the point of the article is to discourage people from feeding foxes in particular, and wild animals in general. Foxes will habituate to a location if attracted to do so. Then they become more "tame", more aggressive, more frequent, and more demanding. At some point, they will become a nuisance and will then have to be destroyed. You're not doing them any favors by feeding them, nor yourself. They are also loaded with disgusting parasites and diseases. If you have pets, they will pick these up. And foxes are also highly skilled predators. Let them pass through, take a quick picture or whatever, and then let them go on their way. Better for all concerned. RR
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flyingfur on Jun 14, 2013 at 6:03 am
Jackie: I don't disagree that common sense in terms of managing garbage and things like that does not seem that common...but not sure why you take it out on Conservation Officers; they are left to clean up the mess when animals of whatever variety get into trouble and become dangerous to people. Foxes will be fine if we leave them alone and bears will be fine as long as we are responsible and manage attractants.
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Jackie Ward on Jun 14, 2013 at 4:38 am
I find it funny that this comes from conservation officers. I just read in the paper that 90 grizzly bears were killed in Alaska by "conservation" officers. What does that word in your title actually mean again? And who the heck sees a fox and runs to their phone and calls conservation officers? Oh right, probably all the new comers to the Yukon who probably never actually seen wildlife before. This is the Yukon. Get used to it. They are not dingos, and they are not going to eat your baby. Whitehorse really is turning into yuppyville. What about all the bears killed up here over the last few years? I find it funny that this correlates again to the influx of big city folk who don't understand what securing their garbage means. I just shake my head. Maybe YTG should offer a course on wildlife common sense. Because all our animals are being killed because everyone refuses to use their brains.