Where’s evidence on rising fox numbers?

TWO reports in the Western Daily Press on November 17 were prime examples of how certain elements of the human species have used spurious excuses to kill one species of our wildlife in order to have the excuse to kill another.

First the claim that fox numbers are soaring. Who said so, because the 18-year study reported published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research has shown fox numbers are down by 20 per cent and there was no evidence that fox numbers have increased since the ban on hunting. Also, rabbit numbers are down by 48 per cent and mountain hare by 43 per cent, albeit this was a few years ago. On the same day, in the report wondering why mink numbers are down there was no mention that the RSPB, along with other wildife organisations, has had vigorous eradication programmes on its sites.

It has been and still is the constant human interfering with nature by those such as the blood sports lobby, which claims how vital it is to country life, providing jobs etc.

Nonsense! More jobs would be provided if we practised better conservation projects which encouraged a more informed, enlightened attitude towards our wildife, how we produce our food and energy instead of looking for excuses to kill and persecute our wildife or abuse farm animals to produce cheaper and cheaper food.

Pretty birds kill pretty butterflies. Do we want to kill the pretty birds? Of course not. It’s called nature, which the blood sports lobby hates.