Faithful farmers forge unlikely friendships with foxes
RTE Six One News, Thursday, 28 May 2020
By Tomás O Mainnín
Video Journalist
Some unusual friendships have developed between a number of Co Offaly farmers and wild foxes, largely due to restrictions associated with Covid-19.
Retired dairy farmer Tony Bergin is cocooning at home near Roscrea.
A wild fox began visiting his home over two months ago, and since then, the trust and friendship between the two has developed.
Now every evening after his tea, the 90-year-old brings food out to the yard to the fox.
After a few whistles and calling him, the fox appears.
The friendship has developed to the point that the fox now takes the food from his lap.
Mr Bergin said that he has been cocooned at home for over two months and that the fox has broken the boredom for him.
"I'm really glad that this happened, and I look forward every evening to the fox's visit," he said. "He comes nearly every evening when I call him."
The fox has been named after the virus that forged the relationship.
"I call him Covi, after Covid-19, and I hope he doesn't get it or give it to me," Mr Bergin joked.
Near Shannon Harbour in the Faithful County, farmer Martin Guinan is raising two orphaned fox cubs.
The organic farmer has been feeding them three times daily for the past two months.
He said that the restrictions of Covid-19 has given him a better appreciation of his natural surroundings.
"With the restrictions, people are now noticing their surroundings more and more.
"Before this, I wouldn't have given much heed to two fox cubs one way or another. But now I find that I'm more alert to nature and my surroundings."
Mr Guinan said that the fox cubs were very small when he first saw them, but that they are now growing strong.
"I really love watching them grow, it's really fascinating to see their individual personalities develop, but I'm careful not to get too close and respect their wild nature," he added.
The siblings have been named Rocky and Ivy after the area where they were discovered.
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ICABS ACTION ALERT
Please join us in urging politicians to save foxes from foxhunting cruelty by banning the bloodsport. Foxhunting is completely unacceptable in modern Ireland and a majority want it stopped. A RED C opinion poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, shows that a 77% majority agree that the Irish Government should ban foxhunting. The poll found that just 12 per cent disagree with a ban on foxhunting.
Contact all your local TDs and urge them to push for a ban on foxhunting. Visit the Oireachtas website for names of TDs and their email addresses http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=33&disp=mem
Contact the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein, Labour Party and the Green Party to tell them that you want fox hunting and all bloodsports banned.
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
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Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
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Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
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Alan Kelly TD
Leader, Labour Party
Tel: 067 34190
Email: alan.kelly@oir.ie
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Eamon Ryan
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
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Keep hunters off your land
If you are a landowner, make your land off-limits to hunters. Find out more about how to do this on our Farmers/Landowners Page - http://www.banbloodsports.com/farmers.htm Encourage all land-owning friends and family members in the countryside to show compassion and make their land a haven for wildlife.