Warning
 

Hi there,
I just thought I pass on a dreadful experinece I had last night, so that it doesn't happen to any of you:
I have 4 Hermans torties, ranging from 3 to 8 years. They have been out all summer and sleep in little shelters in my garden. Last night a fox decided to dig round the garden and this morning my 8-year old was lying on his back on the pavement, clearly distressed, and my smallest one is missing all together. There wer signs of digging all around and inside the shelter. It must have dug in and picked up the little one which is the size of a tennis ball. Must have taken it away with him. I'm so upset about it all.

I really don't know what to do now, as I wanted to let them hybernate themselves when they are ready and not bring them in and out of the house all the time.

Anyway, just be aware of these vicious foxes!!!
Julia

That is terrible im so sorry to hear that x

I am sorry to hear that are you sure the little one has not dug in they can go a long way? Foxes will bite but I have not heard of them taking an animal. I may be wrong has anyone else heard of a fox actually taking a tort?

Sorry to hear this, fox attacks are becoming more common, it will have probably been around the garden before, as more people feed them the urban foxes are rapidly increasing. A cull will be needed in some area's as more pet's become prey.

So so sorry for you.I havn't heard of them taking tortoises but I've seen damage on one or two(not mine).However a lady who lives near me with a very old cat witnessed the most awful sight the next day.They are becoming increasingly bold in their visits though.

Sorry to hear your news. I had two females attacked by a fox three years ago, luckily only minor injuries. The sheer number of foxes in London is a major problem, since I moved to the country I've hardly seen one as they are more spread out. I used to put my tortoises in the garage at night in old suitcases with some hay or paper in for them to bed down. You could bring them in your house at night and put them out in the morning but reinforce their pens with chicken wire buried deep into the ground and maybe put a concrete base under the pens to stop any fox burrowing in so you don't have to bring them in each time you go out.

Tom

Sorry to hear this Julia. :sad: I have known of foxes taking tortoises and I have had this company link in with our Group to offer members advice. http://www.foxolutions.co.uk/ A hard one. Covering their enclosure up with wire and bringing in at night is the quickest way, but if you let tortoises roam around a large area this is not possible.

Sorry to hear that Julia.

We had a similar experiance when i was young, A fox attacked our rabbits. It managed to rip the hutch open, killed one there and left it. Took the other. The site was horrific.

That is very sad to read - foxes are a nuisance, we had a cub come in and found him upstairs in the bird room (I did a post about it). Our outdoor runs are covered with wire and the tortoises are brought in at night. We use fireguards - the ones you buy to stop children - brought at car boot sales and fixed onto wooden poles which then rest on the picket fencing, if that makes sense.

My friend had this happen earlier in the year, her tortoises have had a hut to sleep in in her garden for years and i felt it was a shame that she was going to have to shut them up in her house at night from then on.

so i came up with a plan...i had an unused dog crate so we sunk this halfway into the ground then put the tort hut inside the cage then digging a slope down in front of the cage door so that it could be shut and locked at night, this way the torts were able to still sleep outside and were safe at night and its worked really well.