Foxes are at home in cities

PEOPLE in city and country areas may hear eerie cries these nights, but be not be afraid. The screams might sound like the banshee. More than likely, however, it’s a female fox as we are in the mating season for the madra rua.

Foxes mate in January/February and gardaí have been called out, at times, by concerned people to investigate such screams which can be like those of a child in distress.

Despite being painted, historically, as a villain in children’s storybooks, and a killer of farmyard fowl, the fox is a human’s friend in many ways. In a recent column, we referred to a huge growth in the rat population this year, but the fox preys on rats and it is estimated in some studies that the average fox can kill upwards of six rodents per day.