Charlottetown resident wants backyard foxes removed

A Charlottetown resident wants the city or the province to remove foxes that have made a home in his backyard.

Don Hanrahan told CBC News two foxes, who have been sleeping under a tree on his property, have become a nuisance.

“I have tenants who have a dog and they’re afraid to let the dog out. I have my daughter who visits who's afraid to let her dog out even on a leash,” said Hanrahan.

“I find it ironic we're not allowed to allow tame animals such as dogs to roam about our city, but we're prepared to let wild animals to go on through the city unabated.”

Hanrahan said the foxes have been a problem for several years. He has used noisemakers and chased them away, but they keep returning. He would like someone to trap and remove them, but neither the city nor the province will do it, he said.

The City of Charlottetown says it's the responsibility of residents to ensure food is not attracting the animals, and to ensure there are no places on their property for wild animals to establish a den.

The province says foxes are part of the wildlife community and residents have to accept there are a number of them in the city.

A study by researchers at UPEI last year identified 42 active fox dens in the city, and the researchers believe there are more. With at least 160 foxes actually born in the city last year, they say the fox population is well established and permanent.

For mobile devices users: Should the government be doing something to control the fox population in Charlottetown?