Snooze cruise for fox

Oh honestly people, you can be so silly and sensitive, and ignorant! This is a very short period involving a wild animal that is not going to be any happier in a small confined basket, than being scruffed. I work with wildlife in a different part of the country, saw this article and the laughable responses. The pole would have been lose once you scruff the fox, left on for safety in case it went wild and might have done something to injure itself or someone else (am I right this was next to water?). Holding the fox by the scruff they generally are well controlled and go limp, they don't thrash, unlike when they go crazy unrestrained in a fox basket. The fox can then be carried uninjured to a place of saftely, and released. In my experience a well held fox is less stressed and reactive than one in a fox cage. Well done RSPCA, I'm sure the fox was grateful.

Edit: As I cant edit my comment to say "should have taken a cage to collect the Fox from the rib rather than carry by the neck such a long way back to the van" Also the Pole loop goes around the neck and only needed to place the Fox in a Carying Cage. The fact this Inspector is long serving means he should know better. A vixen carying a cub is a totally different matter. For those thinking I am against the RSPCA I am not, I dont know the man, have had no dealings with him but I do object to how he handeld this fox and this case. I was happy to hear the Fox survived his ordeal and is free again, for that Im grateful.

We are a little concerned that so many adverse comments have been made about the rescue of the ‘snooze cruise’ fox. Surely it is wrong to criticise the professional doing a difficult and dangerous job. The role of all RSPCA Inspectors is to save lives and rescuing this fox is just one instance of the many challenges that they face every day. A vixen will carry her cubs by the scruff of the neck and everyone can rest assured that the animal did not suffer in any way and was soon successfully released back into the wild.
There are a very vociferous minority on the Island who would delight in seeing the torturing and killing of foxes for fun made legal again. This is the real evil that faces all good people, including anyone concerned about this particularly lucky little chap who’s life wa

We will have to agree to disagree on this one Graham as I stand by my opinion that the Inspector should have taken a cage to collect the badger from the rib rather than carry by the neck such a long way back to the van I can see no accepytable reason why he didnt do that even if he needed the rod just to contain him while putting him in the cage.

As cuddly and cute as these animals look, they need to be handled by a trained expert such as Inspector Buggie who we have worked with in the past, not easy catching a fox on a small rocking boat but it has to be done quickly. The fox is alive,is well and was released and now has a seaside adventure to tell its future cubs!

I personally would like to do the same to the RSPCA man to see how he likes it...
He should have taken a cage to the rib and popped him in there if needed to be then carried to the van or better still just let him run free as he must be living in the area but carying him by the neck like this is shamefull :'(
Thank you Lee I was there and honoured to shake the hand of the wonderful Mr May and thank him for all he does and saving the Freshwater Fox Family recently :)

Mrs James, it does look heavy handed I agree, poor thing should have been transported up the harbour in a suitable RSPCA cage instead of holding it by the scruff of the neck like a naughty Victorian child!

Had I been the rib owner I would have taken the fox on a trip to a place of safety as foxes are persecuted on our island still, especially by some un-named group of men on horses & 4 wheel bikes, despite the UK wide hunting ban.

Let us hope this little fox lives out its days in peace & has no need to ask Brian May to "Save Me".

His talk was great at the Riverside centre, shame more islanders did not attend.

Is it just me or was this heavy handed ...
I dont know why the owner of the rib didnt just wake the fox and send him on his way , he wasnt injured at that point anyway,though going by the way hes being manhandeled by the RSPCA man Im sure he has a sore neck today poor fox... Brian May was here on the Island too I wonder what he thinks... http://www.save-me.org.uk/

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