Content:
- What You Should Know about Foxes
- Fox Behaviors
- Why Is It Illegal to Poison A Fox?
- Can Foxes Be Pests?
- How to Get Rid of Foxes
- Conclusion
Yes, poisoning a fox in many countries, including the United States, is illegal. The Sierra Nevada red fox is protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act, making it illegal to deploy any violent means to capture or kill it.
If you fail to adhere to this regulation, it attracts steep punishments enforced by the law. Up until 2021, poisoning foxes was not considered a crime. But the declining population has triggered its inclusion as an endangered specie and given it immunity.
Do you have a fox in your yard? Or have you been getting constant visits from these animals? Well, the increasing number of foxes in human habitats has made them pests in some places, hence the need to get rid of them.
However, you may have to employ other means to evict and keep the animals out of your spaces, as it is illegal to deploy any violent method against them. Lucky enough, there are several legal ways to go keep these intruders out without risking the wrath of the law. This article will explain why foxes are protected and how to evict them from your property.
What You Should Know about Foxes
Foxes are medium-sized mammals belonging to the order Carnivora. It is a member of the Canidae family, and it involves several species spread across several continents, including the Arctic.
The American red fox is the most popular in human habitats and is native to North America. However, many individuals from the population have migrated to other continents. The red fox is the largest of all true foxes, making up a significant percentage of the Carnivora population.
Foxed shares several similarities with cats and dogs, but it is not directly related. It may be slightly related to dogs as they both belong to the same order.
However, red foxes have specific physical features that make them easily identifiable, including;
- Size: As the largest of the true foxes, the red fox can reach heights of 35 – 60cm and body length of 45 – 90cm. A fully grown adult weighs an average of 22kg.
- Facial Features: Red Foxes have long snouts like other members of its order. They have a pair of pointed ears and large canine teeth.
- Body Features: It is covered with a pelage of red furs, with white hairs on parts of its face and underbelly. It has four relatively short limbs and a long fluffy tail almost half its body length.
Fox Behaviors
Foxes prefer mixed vegetation habitats where they can easily find their prey. But their high intelligence helps them adapt to many other areas, including urban settlements in search of food.
These animals are mainly nocturnal but opportunistic feeders and sometimes come out to feed during the day.
- Diet: Foxes are mainly carnivores, and smaller animals like rodents dominate their diet. But they can also broaden to accommodate insects, birds, earthworms, herbs, and fruits.
- Reproduction: Foxes are mammals giving birth to their young alive. Their breeding season usually falls between late winter and early spring, but mating often occurs in January or February. The gestation period is typically between 47 – 56 days, and each litter contains an average of 6 pups.
Why Is It Illegal to Poison A Fox?
Foxes have been identified as an endangered specie due to their rapid population reduction. Hence, they are now protected by several acts to help preserve their population and keep them from going extinct.
The act prohibits poisoning foxes. It also warns against hunting, stabbing, drowning, impaling, or deploying violent means against the animal. This law may not apply to all fox species, but it covers the red fox, the most popular in human habitats.
Removing a fox from its natural habitat without permission from the associated bodies is also considered animal cruelty. This is because most foxes removed from their natural habitat find feeding very challenging. A breach of these acts will attract punishments, including fines and jail terms.
Can Foxes Be Pests?
Yes, foxes can make terrible pests in the garden, and their increasing number in urban settlements makes them a handful. If you have an unprotected garden, foxes will eventually make their way into your space to scavenge your garden produce. Indeed, foxes feed mainly on smaller animals.
But they are omnivores, which means their meals can also consist of fruits and herbs. So it is not unlikely to see foxes invade gardens.
Also, foxes can cause a series of damages in your yard once they get in. Foxes often dig to access earthworms, and they can damage your lawn as a result. Therefore, foxes have been identified as garden pests that need to be evicted.
How to Get Rid of Foxes
Foxes may not pose a direct threat to humans and would often avoid confrontations. But their pestilent behaviors of intruding and damaging garden crops prompt the need to evict them from your space.
However, getting rid of these animals can be tricky, considering that they are protected species, and you are not allowed to use harmful methods.
Here are some best methods to evict these unwanted visitors from your space.
- Install Fences: The best way to keep foxes out of your property is by denying them entrance. You can achieve this by installing fences around your garden or homes to keep them from entering.
- Motion Lights: Foxes are nocturnal and are most active after dark, so you can repel them by installing lights. A motion detection light turns on when there’s movement around its range, and it will surely scare intruding animals away.
- Motion Sprinklers: These sprinklers function similarly to motion lights but use water instead of light. Motion sprinklers release a rush of water once motion is detected in the vicinity, and the sudden sprinkle scares pests away.
- Ultrasonic Pest Repellers: This device repels animal pests by releasing high-frequency sound irritating their hearing senses. Ultrasonic repellers are perfect for homes because the sounds are safe for humans, and the device is eco-friendly.
Conclusion
Foxes can be annoying as pests, prompting the need to keep them away from your property. But they are protected species, so it is illegal to poison a fox or employ any violent elimination method.
This article has explained why it is illegal to poison a fox while highlighting safe ways to keep it out of your property.
