Fox: Friend or Foe

Pete Prior, Bristol Rovers’ Groundsman, today told us that Bristol Rovers had a family of supporters living at the Stadium.   These supporters  have been living at the Stadium since the 1930s. 

This family are no ordinary season ticket holders.  One problem is that they turn up for the games wearing red not blue! They are a family of urban foxes.  

Some people feel that these foxes are a real problem because they dig holes in the pitch and put their food in them.  They forget where they have put it and dig up more holes.  Pete has found bones from bigger animals buried in the pitch.  

Foxes also leave their waste over the pitch, which is more work for Pete as someone has to clean it all up before the games.  

They eat the pasties left over from the fans and also eat the rubbish from the bins.  

Pete has tried several different ways of managing the foxes.  He has used a spray which he put around the edge of the pitch but they still went on.  

He said foxes do not like the scent of dogs and he has used the Study Centre teacher’s dog to walk around the pitch to keep them away.  But they came back again.  

He tried to contact the authorities about moving them but it is illegal to move them from their habitat.  

However on the positive side they help Pete out, after the great 12 years that he has been at the Club.

He sees the foxes as part of the ecosystem of the Stadium.  The crows kill the pigeons and eat what they want.  The foxes then come in and finish them off and get rid of the waste.  

The foxes also keep down the numbers of rats and mice around the Stadium which is a good thing.

Foxes are also very fond of their territory and will keep other foxes away.  

When Pete is filling in the holes he calls them Pests but inside he calls them his friends.  

Foxes can be helpful after all.  

James,Daniel and Jeffrey  

   reported from the Bristol Rovers Study Centre.