Don't call 999 if you hear a horny fox, firefighters warn
9:33am Tuesday 24th January 2012 in Bizarre
Firefighters have been called out to frightened residents who hear foxes
Firefighters have warned residents not to dial 999 if they hear screams in the night from animals, who are probably just sowing their wild oats.
A fire crew was called out to Green Wrythe Lane, Mitcham, at about midnight on Thursday, January 19, after a resident told an emergency services operator that she believed an animal was trapped and in danger.
A member of Mitcham fire station said they believed the “screaming” sound described by the residents was the undignified noise of foxes mating in the householder’s rear garden.
He said: “I don’t know if it is the mating season but it must be said that the foxes made one hell of a racket.”
The Wimbledon Guardian’s resident nature expert, Tony Drakeford, said January and Feburary were the mating season for foxes, who bark unpleasantly as part of their ritual courtship.
Mr Drakeford said: “During this time the male gives out a loud bark while the female makes a noise like a screaming banshee.
“Especially on frosty nights, the males will bark to attract the vixen, who is only receptive to the male for two or three nights of the year.
“The male will follow the female around when she is coming into season.”
Dave Brown, London Fire Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner for Operations and Mobilising, said warned residents to call the RSPCA instead of dialling 999 if they thought an animal was in danger, except where the situation was a “real emergency”.
Mr Brown said: “Animal rescues are extremely costly and take up the precious time of our firefighters who could otherwise be attending real emergencies.
“That said, we don’t want people putting themselves at risk to save an animal.”
Are foxes keeping you up at night? Leave a comment below or email us at: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.
