These fox dumpers are no animal lovers

Charlie Fox is something of an enigma in the countryside. The walls of our houses are covered in his artistic representation, door knockers carry his mask and pubs named in his honour abound. An entire county is dedicated to him, Leicestershire, so intrinsically linked with vulpes vulpes that its flag, cricket and football teams proudly display his image.

Yet for all this veneration and grudging respect, the fox is also considered as foe, a varmint, a purloiner of poultry and game. To this end, the gamekeeper’s hand is turned against him. Good keepers never seek to eradicate foxes from their patch; they maintain balance. Therefore they use methods of control that provide a home, albeit on occasion a precarious one, for Charlie as part of the overall