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Foxes repeatedly vandalise man’s taxi

Foxes are well-known for their cunning, slyness, and their ability to leave the contents of your bin strewn across your garden. What many people don’t know is that they can also be vandals. The bushy-tailed pests have been accused of attacking a taxi in the area of Worcester Park, South West London.

Urban foxes: Is there nothing they won't chew?
Urban foxes: Is there nothing they won’t chew?

The unnamed taxi driver, who lives in Ardrossan Gardens, said his taxi has been foxed with on four separate occasions. The most recent incident involved the ABS cable being chewed, and in September three cables linked to the speedometer, ABS and taximeter were also attacked.

“There are so many foxes around and it’s got to be an animal with a strong bite,” the anonymous taxi driver said. “If I had not noticed what was going on, my passengers as well as myself would have been put in danger as well as any other road users.

“They are lovely to watch and very beautiful but they seem to be everywhere. I think culling is probably the best idea because there are so many.”

Local newspaper the Sutton Guardian said a similar incident had been reported in the same road by a fellow neighbour two years ago. Foxes had chewed through Erica Kirkpartrick’s brake lines twice, leaving the 54-year-old to find a puddle of brake fluid under her car.

Another incident was reported in 2009 by taxi driver Adam Sparkes from Morden. He found his brakes had been chewed through and had to alert police of the incident.

To deter the long-eared vandals, Mrs Kirkpatrick decided to fit metal brake lines, while Mr Sparkes started using a metal cage that sits around his vehicle.

It seems foxes are part of a wider problem of animals attacking vehicles. Bunny rabbits were responsible for creating havoc at Denver International Airport, having chewed through the ignition cables of cars left in one of its car parks. 

Foxes have even been accused of attacking babies, leading to a renewed push for a cull of an animal often seen as a pest and increasingly confident in the presence of humans.

A website called Animals Being Dicks was set up to make people aware that animals, as seemingly cute, innocent and furry as they can be, can sometimes be… well… not very nice. 

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