Friendly foxes deserve all our kindness
WhIle I deeply sympathise with Jodie nailard, bitten in bed by a fox who squeezed through a gap in her patio doors (Mail), I shall continue to feed the vixen visiting our garden. British wildlife is in a terrible state and needs all the help it can get. DARRYL RANSoM, Sevenoaks, Kent. I KneW of a unique relationship between an elderly gentleman, eric Fossleitner, late of Goringby-sea, West sussex, and a fox he called Ben.
eric discovered two tiny cubs (one male, one female) while out walking his elkhound. They appeared to be abandoned as no adult fox was in evidence, so he returned with food morsels.
after a week, the dog fox cautiously approached this giver of food. Once accustomed to eric, he willingly came out of his sanctuary for his treat.
The cubs were in the grounds of a hospital so their lives would be short if left there. Ben and his sister were taken to eric’s home, where the cubs could use his secure new shed (with beds in). Curiosity took over and Ben followed the smell of cooked chicken into the kitchen.
soon, he was coming and going at will. he had his own spot in a bed with the dog, with whom he became great friends. Ben was taken on daily walks, on a lead, down to the beach for a paddle.
a local celebrity, he loved the fuss he elicited from children, so he was taken on trips to the local school and a collection box was provided for wildlife.
daytime was spent in the house or on excursions, and at night he chose to rejoin his timid sister in their shed.
Ben would come to the surgery where I was a veterinary helper. he would lie on ‘his’ chair while awaiting his check- up, and spent the time befriending all.
Ben lived about ten years and it was a great pleasure for me to spend some time with this lovely animal, especially when he wanted a lap to sit on!
his behaviour was always gentle, no aggression at all. HAZEL TuLETT, East Preston, W. Sussex.