Basel: Professional Incompetence in Wildlife Research?

A fox wandering into the city's neighbourhoods is not uncommon. The wildlife occasionally ventures into Basel-West, the Hirzbrunnen area, or the Bruderholz — but usually at night or at dusk, going unnoticed. Not so on Markircherstrasse. On Tuesday morning, a fox had strayed into a courtyard there. Residents then informed the police, who in turn contacted the wildlife research unit for the Basel region.

As the latter reports, the animal could “unfortunately” not be captured alive. «The courtyard was full of hedges, plants, fences, and people. The animal was therefore very nervous and frightened», says wildlife biologist Sandro Gröflin. «We considered all methods, but in the end shooting the animal was our only option.» In general, Gröflin says, the fox is not a dangerous animal. «But it is a predator, and normally a fox flees when it sees people approaching. If it is surrounded, however, its reaction can be unpredictable..»

The incident on Tuesday morning had been particularly tragic. «One always tries to achieve the best possible outcome in such a situation.» That had not been possible on Markircherstrasse, however. «It was also tragic because many people were present and witnessed what happened. The killing was deeply distressing. Some people had tears in their eyes», says Gröflin. «There isn’t always a happy ending», he explains, in a somewhat cold-blooded manner, in the Basler Zeitung. It is quite possible that children also had to witness this entire drama of failure.

Why was the fox not sedated?

Sandro Gröflin shot the fox because he had no intention of relocating it properly, and because there were allegedly people who were afraid of the fox. Why, then, did no one simply send those people home in order to defuse the situation — that is what many readers are now asking themselves.

Once again, a wild animal had to die because of unfounded human fear. If the fox kept coming into the courtyard and this was causing problems, why were no traps set up?Why was the fox not sedated and relocated? Is this the proper way to treat a guest in distress, was the general sentiment among readers.

How pitiful is a society when we simply tolerate such conduct — notably from a wildlife research station, supposedly a friend and helper!

At least all of Basel now knows who should definitely NOT be involved when wildlife is spotted, one reader notes.And, let us stand up and not look away when injustices occur, because silence makes us complicit, reads a letter to Wildlife Protection Switzerland.

The fox in the city of Zurich

In Zurich, the adult fox population within the city is estimated at around 1’000. This number is more or less stable, and regulation by wildlife wardens is neither possible nor necessary. «We have observed that fox mothers give birth to more young in areas where the animals are hunted», says wildlife warden Fabian Kern. While culling can provide localised relief, «the vacated territories will quickly be reclaimed». Nature regulates itself.