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Finding sections of a lawn torn up overnight can be frustrating, particularly when the damage appears to have happened without warning. Badgers are one of the animals capable of creating this type of damage, especially in gardens close to suitable habitat. The holes and disturbed turf are usually not random. Badgers have powerful claws and…
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Badgers are powerful, muscular animals that can sometimes look intimidating when encountered at close range. They are also increasingly familiar to people living near woodland, farmland, parks and gardens, particularly in areas where badgers regularly forage at night. Despite their appearance, badgers are generally cautious animals that prefer to avoid direct contact with people. Most…
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Foxes are highly adaptable animals that can be found in a wide range of habitats across the UK. Although they are most commonly associated with woodland, farmland, parks and urban areas, foxes may occasionally encounter rivers, streams, canals, ponds and other bodies of water. This sometimes leads people to wonder whether foxes can swim or…
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Foxes are often thought of as solitary and cautious animals, but they can also show playful behaviour. This is particularly noticeable in young foxes, which spend time chasing, wrestling and exploring with their littermates. Play is an important part of growing up for many young animals, and fox cubs are no exception. Their interactions give…
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Seeing two foxes running after each other can look dramatic, particularly when they suddenly race through a garden or across a road. However, chasing does not always mean that foxes are fighting. Foxes may chase each other for several different reasons, including courtship, territorial disputes, competition, play, and interactions between adults and younger foxes. The…
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Foxes rely on far more than sharp eyesight to survive. Although they are well known for their excellent night vision, hearing is arguably one of the most important senses a fox possesses. Their highly sensitive ears allow them to detect prey hidden beneath long grass, hear the calls of other foxes across their territory, and…
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Foxes rely heavily on their sense of smell to understand the world around them. Long before a fox sees or hears a person, it may already know someone is nearby through scent carried on the wind or left behind on the ground. This ability helps foxes avoid danger, locate food, recognise familiar places, and move…
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Foxes are often thought of as solitary animals, but they communicate with one another in a variety of sophisticated ways. Whether defending a territory, locating family members, attracting a mate, or avoiding conflict, foxes rely on a combination of sounds, scent, body language, and behaviour to share information. Much of this communication happens without direct…
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Many dog owners have watched a fox pause, observe their pet, and then calmly continue on its way. In other situations, the fox may retreat immediately or avoid the area altogether. These different reactions often lead people to wonder whether foxes can actually recognise individual dogs or whether they simply respond to any potential threat.…
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If you’ve ever watched a fox walk across a garden, along a fence, or down a quiet street, you may have noticed it repeatedly stopping to look back. Rather than continuing in a straight line, the fox often glances over its shoulder before moving on again. This behaviour can make it seem as though the…