jmgoyder

That fox and I are going to do battle.

We have tried fox traps, lights and numerous other fox deterrents, including the introduction of two beautiful Alpacas (because I was told they keep foxes away), and we have built up the night-time yards so they are too high for a fox to climb in. So far, these yards have kept that fox out during nights, but it has become so brazen that, as you know from previous posts, it somehow got our first three free-ranging emus in broad daylight.

So, I am going to get a gun, learn to shoot and get my gun licence. Now, for those of you who find this disturbing, it’s important that you know that the fox is not natural to Australia; it was introduced in the mid 1800s for recreational hunting purposes and, fast forward to now, it has become a murderous pest. Foxes not only kill domestic birds, like ours, they kill a lot of the wildlife too.

I think the presence of the Alpacas has helped but they are such gentle animals I can’t imagine them killing anything!

Son named them Okami and Uluru. ‘Okami’ is, apparently, the Japanese word for a great spirit, god or wolf, and ‘Uluru’ is the Aboriginal term for what used to be called ‘Ayer’s rock’. So they have really powerful names, but their soft natures seem to contradict their reputation for being able to stomp on the fox problem.

So, what do you think about my getting-a-gun idea? I don’t see that I have any other choice. Obviously, as an animal lover, I empathise with this fox’s need to feed her cubs wherever they are but sometimes enough is enough!

That fox and I are going to do battle.