An interesting morning indeed. Went down to look at my pond on the lottie - only a filled up bath - and found a young fox in it, obviously hurt as it couldn't get out.
Called for help and one of the men came with a long plank and helped it out - it crawled into the grass and is still there, so I don't have much hope for it. I can cope with frogs, tadpoles and even a newt....but a fox!!!
Serious question - do you think the pond water will have been contaminated with fox **** and should I change the water etc. I don't want to lose all the wildlife in it.
i dont know the answer t your question i am afraid, i am sure someone will know, but i am rather concerned about the fox. have you contacted anyone to remove/help/despatch it? i would hate to thnk of a young animal being left to die a slow death in this heat. sorry to be emotional and all but...
i agree with you sarah.
How come ur so bothered about the wildlife in your 'pond' and not the wildlife you just fetched out of it and left it to die!!!!! ??? >:( :'(
Poor tin shed, you probably needed to lie down and recover for a bit too!
RSPCA should be able to help out, in the meantime give it a bit more shade if the grass isn't enough?
I'd leave the pond to re-adjust itself after the disturbance :)
I think the RSPCA will turn out on a Saturday. I once found an exhausted young gannet lying on a path in Cornwall the day after a gale, carried it into Padstow, and since the RSPCA guy was off duty I had to call out the local constable and bully him into driving me to Bodmin and back with it. He was a decent guy, but he was scared stiff of that thing's beak!
I apologise to those you who thought that I had left the fox in the hot sun to die and was only worried about my pond. I decided to let the fox try and recover for a couple of hours after its ordeal , in the long grass on an overgrown plot , in the shade of a buddlea before calling assistance .Unfortunately when I went back early afternoon it had already died. It will now be buried on the land where it was born, grew up and played. I know that there will be those who disagree with me, but feel that it was preferable to being shot or man handled in its last hours.
Tin shed, is it worth putting some big rocks, bricks or something in the bottom of your bath so that if anything gets in again, especially in this hot weather looking for a drink, it would be easier to get out?
Something so that the water is not so deep, or the sides so steep. Please don't take me the wrong way, I am not in any way trying to upset anyone, just to save you from going through the experience again as a cat, hedgehog or whatever could also be searching for a drink at the moment.
I really am not trying to cause any upset!
T.
There are rocks and bricks in the pond plus a ramp for the frogs to use and several plants and the pond wasn't as deep as usual due to the hot weather. it is the first time that anything like this has happened.