Baby Girls Injured by Fox

On Saturday 5th June 2010, ambulance and police officers were called out to a house in east London after the fox mauled the 9 month old twins. It has been reported that the fox crept upstairs and attacked the girls after entering the house through an open door that had been left open for ventilation due to the hot weather. Their mother, Mrs. Pauline Koupparis has described how she heard her daughters crying and upon entering the room found the fox stood over them. The two girls suffered arm and serious facial injuries and a police statement said that they were in a stable but serious condition in a London hospital.

After the attack, the fox was caught by the RSPCA and later destroyed humanely. The incident is similar to one in 2002 when a fox injured a 14 month old boy in Kent, however news of the attack has surprised wildlife experts and, despite the number of foxes in urban areas increasing over the last few years, fox attacks on humans are extremely rare. One wildlife expert said “Foxes are among the most amenable, least aggressive mammals you could share your environment with. It’s very rare for a fox to be brave enough to face even a cat.” He also said that foxes have been known to steal the odd item of clothing from human residences but they usually do anything to avoid a confrontation.

The RSPCA have also defended the fox in general but released a statement saying that “if people have issues with foxes near their homes they should contact their local authority or a licensed pest controller. In order to discourage foxes from people’s property they should also ensure any rubbish and household waste left out is secure and not open for scavenging. If anyone has a concern about the welfare of a fox they can contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.”

Clearly this particular story of an animal attack is a tragic but faultless incident, however the number of animal attacks on humans is increasing and many involve domestic pets, such as dogs, in incidents that could be avoided were it not for the carelessness and negligence of their owners. In these cases the victims are entitled to claim compensation and if this has happened to you it is important to seek legal advice from a firm of specialist personal injury solicitors such as ourselves.

Source: www.yahoo.co.uk/news