WILCOCK

Red foxes are the UK’s only wild relative of our dogs. They are often persecuted because of their tendency to take poultry and wild game birds but I find them very likeable creatures, despite their raids on my domestic poultry over the years. They have a very varied diet – if it is alive, catchable and small enough for them to carry in their mouth it is a potential prey item, and they will also eat fruit and berries. The male dog fox has a bark like call, but the vixen makes a blood curdling screaming sound which can be very scary if one is out in the countryside on a dark night!