Fox warning
A Rutherglen woman attacked by a rogue fox has warned fellow residents of the dangers the animal can cause.
Lynn Graham, 51, was visiting a friend on Reid Court on Friday, October 7, when she was approached by the ‘brazen’ mutt.
A Rutherglen woman attacked by a rogue fox has warned fellow residents of the dangers the animal can cause.
Lynn Graham, 51, was visiting a friend on Reid Court on Friday, October 7 when she was approached by the ‘brazen’ mutt.
The mother of one, was admiring it from the door step before the animal struck and bit her ankle.
But to Lynn’s luck, she was wearing high length boots which protected her from the fox’s bite.
“It was about 11.30pm and we were standing having a cigarette watching this fox,” said Lynn who stays on nearby Fraser Avenue.
“The fox came round and I was wishing I had my phone to take a photo. It was going from one side to the other.
“It was quite big, brazen and was sniffing around. It was wondering about and I thought it was lovely.
“I was just saying to my pal that we should have fed it something and the next thing I knew, it went for me. I got the fright of my life.
“It came right in at my heel and went for my ankles. I never thought it would do something like that.
“I was lucky I had my high leather boots and not my slippers on. It wasn’t sore because its teeth just bit into the leather.”
Foxes, particularly red foxes, are common in human-populated areas and residents have been known to feed the animals which frequent their area.
But in general, foxes are not often associated as dangerous to humans or some pets and attacks are not a common occurrence.
They are likely to feed off livestock that is small such as poultry, rabbits or other small newborn animals.
And despite the vast majority of foxes not presenting a risk to the public, Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn has advised people to leave them alone.
He said: “Unlike the wild fox, urban foxes are born and bred in our towns and cities and are familiar with the sights and sounds associated with living close to people.
“The urban fox is a common visitor to gardens, particularly if there is a food source present. We would recommend that people don’t encourage foxes to their gardens by leaving food out for them and ensure rubbish is kept in an enclosed bin.
“Anyone with small pets should remove them from runs and keep them secure in a hutch overnight.”
Following her frightening ordeal, Lynn urged fellow residents to be on their guard and warned of the dangers the animal could cause to young children.
She said: “I just want to warn people to be aware. I was thinking of somebody young who could be at risk.
“Many people feed them round here and that’s maybe why they are coming round.”