Foxes and Domestic Cats in The Coves
This summer many people have been noticing an apparent increase in numbers of Red Foxes in The Coves natural areas and nearby neighbourhoods. Whether or not numbers have actually increased remains to be proven, it could be that they are coming around houses more or are simply more visible for some other less apparent reason.
However, one thing is certain, there are and likely have always been Red Foxes in The Coves. There are year-round resident foxes in The Coves known to raise litters of pups as well as foxes that migrate in and out of the area from nearby natural corridors.
The Red Fox should not be feared or unwelcomed by landowners. Red Fox are generally shy and nocturnal and highly unlikely to harm a human unless they are trapped or otherwise harrassed directly.
Cats and other pets
Concern has been raised about the safety of cats and encounters between cats and foxes have been heard on several streets during the night when both are out hunting. Though unlikely to kill a full grown cat due to their comparable body size, foxes are wild animals that hunt for their survival and they cannot be expected to differentiate between a cat and a squirrel, a rabbit or a woodchuck.
No small children, cats, small dogs or other small pets should ever be left unattended or allowed to roam near or in a natural area
Please keep your domestic cats indoors. If you must let them out, keep them tied up or in a fully contained area on your own property and never leave them out at night when nocturnal hunters like foxes and owls are active. No person is permitted to allow a domestic animal to run at large or trespass on private property (City of London Animal Control By-law Sections 4.11 and 4.12).
Domestic cats kill wild birds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians that are native to The Coves Environmentally Significant Area. Though the exact mortality numbers are debatable, all mortality due to cats is unnatural and unnecessary and disrupts the fragile Coves ecosystem. Domestic cats are stealthy predators that do not belong in any natural areas.
Do you see what doesn't belong in this picture???
Domestic cats like this one are regularly seen hunting in The Coves.
Fox or Coyote?
Some people may confuse the Red Fox with the Coyote, a species not typically seen in The Coves. The source of most confusion is that the Red Fox is not always an obvious red colour and sometimes can appear more greyish. If they are full grown, size is a good way to tell between them since an adult Coyote is 20 lbs or more and a Red Fox rarely tips 15 lbs. The colour of the feet is a good indicator with Red Fox having black or dark coloured feet and Coyote having light grey or tawny coloured feet.