EXCLUSIVE: Local councils in Sydney are hopeful the lifting of the Covid lockdown will allow for a “brazen” and “ballsy” furry fox friend that has seemingly made its lair at a number of local schools across the city’s inner-west to slowly return to its normal routine and habits so it does not have to be captured and destroyed. Serkan Ozturk reports.
The fox that has simultaneously captured the hearts of residents of Sydney’s inner-west while also spooking them and their pets will be provided an opportunity to return to its regular habits before any action is taken by local councils.
The wild animal has been spotted on numerous occasions over the past couple month in the suburbs of Ashfield, Burwood and Croydon.
Photos show the fox has been seen inside the school grounds of Burwood Girls High School as well as at the Holy Innocents’ Catholic Primary School across the road on Queen Street.
True Crime News Weekly has previously reported the fox is believed to have spooked and then chased a pet cat – named Supernova – which luckily survived its 15-hour ordeal unharmed but came back home dirty, tired and scared.
The fox was sighted once again earlier this week near Croydon train station close by the home of Supernova the cat.
“It was definitely ballsy, and wouldn’t even make a move away when I tied to shoo it away” the witness informed True Crime News Weekly. “As soon as I saw it I thought my neigbhour was right about the fox chasing their cat.”
Another witness who has recently seen the fox confirmed it was “brazen” in nature.
Supernova the cat that went missing for 15 hours after being chased by the fox which has been spotted making its home in Sydney’s trendy inner-west (Images: Supplied)
It is believed the long Covid lockdown that went for over 100 days in Sydney until mid-Ocotber has affected the usual food supplies and routines of the fox as well as any family members or friends it may have in its skulk.
Highly intelligent, foxes in the urban environment usually prefer eating food scraps they have discovered rather than killing live prey. However, they will begin to target other animals – such as pet rabbits, cats and chickens – if the easier sources of food become harder to come by.
Local councils have told True Crime News Weekly they are aware of the fox and have urged local residents to not harm it or take matters in their own hands, by either feeding it or trying to capture it.
“Foxes are adaptive animals and are common in the urban environment,” a spokesperson for Burwood Council said.
“While it can be tempting to do so, we urge the community not to feed them or leave food scraps lying outside.
“On most occasions the foxes will move on when the food source runs out.”
Photos of the fox seen inside the grounds of Burwood Girls High School and Holy Innocents’ Catholic Primary School in Sydney’s inner-west (Images: Facebook / Supplied)
The Inner West Council meanwhile said while it rarely does fox control it will be prepared to hire a contractor to remove the fox if it does not return to its normal habits or leave the area of its own accord.
“Inner West Council and the NSW Department of Primary Industries & Environment (DPIE) encourage residents to report Fox sightings on the Fox Scan App/website,” a council spokesperson said.
“If Council was directed to remove the fox by the DPIE, we would employ a contractor to do the work. We have done fox control for the protection of fauna in the Bandicoot Protection Corridor.”
Foxes were declared pests in NSW in 2014. It means they cannot be legally re-homed once captured.
Last June, a hungry fox nicknamed ‘Frankie’ made its home in the grounds of the University of NSW in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and ended up biting at least three people.
At least one of those people had mistaken the fox for a cat.
Be the first to comment