Related News
Fox launches "extremely rare" attack on babies
Source: Agencies |
June 7, 2010, Monday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
A fox has attacked two baby girls while they were sleeping at their house in east London, in what one animal expert called a "freakish" event.
The twin baby sisters were in serious but stable condition in hospital today, police said.
Foxes have become common in urban areas in Britain but animal experts said it was extremely rare for them to attack humans.
The attack on the 9-month-old girls happened in Hackney on Saturday night while their parents were watching television, newspapers reported.
The fox is believed to have entered the house through patio doors which had been left open because of hot weather.
The parents of the twins called emergency services after chasing the fox out, papers said.
The girls were both reported to have suffered arm wounds and one a facial injury.
A fox was later caught in a trap set in the family's garden by pest controllers, police said. The animal was put down in the early hours of this morning after a vet said it was not safe to move it.
"Foxes are shy creatures and this sounds like an extremely rare occurrence," animal welfare group the RSPCA said.
Animal welfare consultant John Bryant told BBC radio he had never come across a fox attack in his business of dealing with them as urban pests.
"It's a freakish event" he said. "I've only heard of two cases in my 40 years of dealing with foxes -- one of which turned out to be a German Shepherd (dog) and the other a cat."
The twin baby sisters were in serious but stable condition in hospital today, police said.
Foxes have become common in urban areas in Britain but animal experts said it was extremely rare for them to attack humans.
The attack on the 9-month-old girls happened in Hackney on Saturday night while their parents were watching television, newspapers reported.
The fox is believed to have entered the house through patio doors which had been left open because of hot weather.
The parents of the twins called emergency services after chasing the fox out, papers said.
The girls were both reported to have suffered arm wounds and one a facial injury.
A fox was later caught in a trap set in the family's garden by pest controllers, police said. The animal was put down in the early hours of this morning after a vet said it was not safe to move it.
"Foxes are shy creatures and this sounds like an extremely rare occurrence," animal welfare group the RSPCA said.
Animal welfare consultant John Bryant told BBC radio he had never come across a fox attack in his business of dealing with them as urban pests.
"It's a freakish event" he said. "I've only heard of two cases in my 40 years of dealing with foxes -- one of which turned out to be a German Shepherd (dog) and the other a cat."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
