Fox has killed my duck and rabbits

[GDJJ]

Woke up this morning to the most traumatising scene. One of my biggest and best free range rabbits decapitated with insides everywhere in the garden. Muddy paw marks up the wall. Two of my other rabbits nowhere to be found, one duck missing and his mate in the pool swimming. My other rabbits down the bottom of the garden and ducks were safe. Fox must have had enough with what she had. Never been so traumatised in my life. Just yesterday I was taking photos and spending so much time with them in the sun and now they’re gone, snatched cruelly from the world. We had a fox attack two years ago and put anticlimb spikes on the wall and a tall fence. The other side is a 6ft wall with a huge green hedge all along it and that’s where she got in. The rest of the garden is full enclosed with anticlimb spikes etc. Thought we had fox proofed it adequately. Obviously not. I’m so sorry to them I couldn’t protect them. Never been so traumatised. My poor bunnies and now my girl has lost her mate. We have three other male ducks but she didn’t like them. So traumatising.

Oh poor you

poor you. that's quite a shock!
fwiw whereever cats can go, foxes can as well.
have a good look around to see where you can improve your enclosures.

Oh that’s awful . Foxes are absolute gits, we have one more or less living between ours and next doors gardens, despite us both having dogs . The bugger will not move on.

I would shut them away at night in secure enclosures.

So sorry to read that, I used to keep a few hens and it was my biggest worry. Be kind to yourself op, it's such a horrendous way to lose your pets.

Thank you all for your condolences. Still traumatised by it all, keep looking out my garden to see if the other two have hidden but they definitely haven’t as I sent one of my rabbits down there and they would have come out if they were alive. Such a horrible day.

We have a fox who visits on a regular basis to view the rabbits in their enclosure. Our dog chases it but it’s brazen. The fox came right up to me a week ago. It must be hungry. Im paranoid so I don’t let the rabbits run about freely. They will always work out a way.

Don't you shut them away at night ? We always had rabbits and ducks as a child and they had secure night time pens .. foxes kill for the sake of it .

What a tragedy. We lost a few chickens a few years back. Was heartbroken.
Found a few hiding under a bush that had hidden well.
Can't imagine dealing with the carnage you found op.

Very sorry for your loss, it must be very distressing. Poor things.

Must be the time of year. We lost 8 chickens overnight. Found 4 bodies, ripped apart and the other 4 have been taken.

Oh you poor thing, we had this with ducks, all 8 chickens and a female turkey. So devastating

Oh op that is horrible
Hope you are ok

Our chickens went like this, it was horrible. They had a secure enclosure but this fox found a week spot and over time must have forced two panels further and further apart, so hard to view the spot despite me checking so much. I’d even wired under the coop, stapled gummed full mesh but it finally managed. I sometimes thing nothing is ultimately fox proof, they are strong and persistent

How very sad. I'm so sorry to read this. I hope your remaining rabbits and ducks are OK.
The one thing I would point out is that the fox will almost certainly be back so please try to move your animals to secure enclosures as soon as possible.

Thank you all so much for your condolences 💗 it means a lot. After we cleaned up Tuesday, I brought all the other rabbits in (three of them) and locked the ducks up securely in their pens at night. When I woke up Wednesday morning it turns out one of the bunnies I thought had been taken by the fox had been hiding in her burrow all day and came out at night when we were all asleep only to be caught by the fox. Another decapitation. I felt so bad as she was alive but I didn’t know she was down the burrows despite calling her, putting food out for her etc. Last night the fox came back but had nothing to eat as all the animals were brought in and the ducks locked up. Can’t believe it honestly! More scuffle marks! No doubt the pest will be back tonight 😩😡 so traumatised by it all and other events I’ve had to go and get anti-anxiety medication from the doctors.

They are terrible for coming back until they have them all. They completely cleared out my Mum's chickens doing this 😢

We're rebuilding the fences with heavy duty electric wire sandwiched between 2 layers of wire. I got accidentally zapped today and it fucking hurts - hope the fox tries it's luck.

I'm sorry you had another rabbit taken. Poor little thing .Foxes will stop at nothing when they know there is prey.

Having shared my life with house rabbits for many years, they will soon enjoy being inside and interacting with their humans. Supervised outdoor time would also help but I'd advise blocking off their usual hidey holes and burrows and making an enclosure so that its easier to get them back indoors. Plus, the fox wouldn't think twice about returning during the day and they can move far more quickly than you would be able to even if you were only 2 or 3 feet away from your rabbits.

Thank you all so much. Poppy, you don’t think the fox will return in the day? Anytime I go out I’m scared that it’ll come back! I’ve put a wire grate on the wall just to see if it’s been moved by morning and every night it’s on the floor. But all the animals come in now and the ducks locked up. Sorry to all those who’ve lost their rabbits, poultry and waterfowl to foxes, such awful scenes to see.

Of course they'll get in, a hungry fox will find a way. Only way to keep them safe is to not have free ranging - we lost a rabbit in the day whilst I was in the garden! Bloody dog fox jumped in, bold as brass, away with the rabbit.

And, once they know there's rabbits or ducks there they will keep coming back for fun or food.

You'll have to keep them penned up or risk this happening. It's a debate between quality of life with free range v protection from gruesome death.

Sadly, yes GDJJ. A fox will come back during the day, especially as it knows there is a readily available food source there.

Seriously, please don't let your rabbits out unsupervised.

I was once in the garden with one of my rabbits. She was running around my feet whilst I hung out some washing and a sparrowhawk swooped. Fortunately my reactions startled her and the sparrowhawk enough to bolt. She was literally less than 2' away from me at the time and only outside because I was.

Electric fencing does work - a strand a couple of inches off the ground to prevent burying under and another at the top of the fence will zap any predator.

I have had several fox attacks on my hens. I take a risk and let them free range when I'm around but foxes can be extremely bold and I've lost a few over the years, often in broad daylight and while I was in the house. They will go on killing even if they have got enough for their dinner.

Its the worst heart-sink moment when your lovely animals get hurt.

So sorry for your loss, I've got 4 ex battery hens arriving this Saturday, I hope we've Fox proofed the pen, I was hoping to let them out in the day.

We've dug done 1 foot and bent the wire outward facing so if they dig down they'll get the wire.

It's fully enclosed, anything else I need to do?