Inès can’t believe it. Via the orange button Alert us, she tells us an anecdote experienced this Saturday, July 9 in Uccle. While his family is gathered around a barbecue on the terrace, a fox appears in the garden. “He came incognito and stole the glasses that were on the table, so be careful in the town of Uccle”, laughs Ines.
As we explained in a previous article, Sighting a red fox in urban settings is increasingly common. Originally from the countryside, the little animal is now present in large numbers almost everywhere in Brussels, where it quickly succeeded in adapting to the environment. He found enough food there (especially waste in the garbage cans). In general, Master Goupil walks at night. He can venture into gardens, parks and streets.
“It is impossible to quantify the population of foxes in the capital. We have no figures”indicated a naturalist from the biodiversity department of Brussels Environment in September 2020. “We know that they particularly appreciate towns with gardens which are better suited to receiving burrows. For the female, a garden shed is an incredible luxury because it allows her to put her young, which do not yet have hair the first few days, sheltered from the rain”explained the specialist. “On the other hand, parks are not much used by foxes for their burrows because there are often many dogs”, he added.
Don’t feed them
According to Brussels Environment, this small mammal is not dangerous: “Since the dawn of time, the fox has had a bad press. However, it is not deserved. Various studies reveal in this respect that Brussels foxes are healthy and do not by nature have an aggressive behavior towards animals. servants or of the man”. The red fox is also a strictly protected species of wild mammal. And one of its characteristics is its not very shy character, underlined the Brussels institute.
Regarding rabies, the disease has been eradicated in Belgium for 20 years. The population of foxes in the capital is also often checked to check that they are not carriers of diseases. To avoid an artificial increase in the population of foxes in the capital, Brussels Environment recalled that it is crucial not to voluntarily feed them.
