CompSci student bitten by fox after feeding it McNuggets

An Australian university may euthanise campus foxes after they bit computing students. Foxes are not native to Australia but were introduced so they could be hunted. The animals have, predictably, become feral pests that devour local wildlife. And now they're after computing students, too. As reported in University of New …

[cb7]

♫ who let the foxes in? Doop Doop Doop Doop Doop ♫

[Anonymous Coward]

Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

Oops, wrong song!

[Anonymous Coward]

The Fox obviously has good taste

Feeing it McNuggets! Where is the beef! (sic)

Shows that even suppsoedly dumb animals have better morals when it comes to food that we do. IMHO, nothing that McD's serves qualifies as proper food.

Let the downvoting begin but in my area, the whole place was better when they were closed. Now their discarded containers litter the streets once again. If anything it is worse than before.

[Glen 1]

Re: The Fox obviously has good taste

"litter the streets"

Yeah, but that's the 5-6 foot foxes. Would be the same with any food place.

See also: the aftermath of sunny days on parks, beaches etc. even *with* the pandemic.

[heyrick]

Seems crazy to rid a place of wild animals because some students failed to appreciate the "wild" part.

[Sorry that handle is already taken.]

Seems crazy that they haven't already tried to eradicate them

[BebopWeBop]

And equally crazy that their other critters (rats etc) have been allowed to get to numbers where they are considered attractors for the foxes.

Now I like foxes in their proper place - and the British countryside is one such place (preferably without some baying hooray on horseback in pursuit), but Australia is not. Like many non-native species they were introduced (for 'sport' I believe) and have a devastating effect on native fauna. Time for them to go. I should add, so you can see my bias, that living in the Scottish Borders, we trap and shoot Grey Squirrels as well. Cute, yes, a danger to the native Red - very very much so.

[Nick Ryan]

While I appreciate the desire to not have introduced animals from what I understand the problem with the native red squirrel is not so much the grey squirrel but that the grey squirrel is somewhat less picky than the red and tends to outcompete it for food range.

[Headley_Grange]

Poxy Greys

The thing about range is true but the main problem is that grey squirrels carry squirrel pox which they are immune to but which kills red squirrels.

[BebopWeBop]

Re: Poxy Greys

Exactly. The pox does kill some greys, but it invariably fatal to reds. In many ways, they are largely complimentary - the reds being lighter tend to stay higher - which may explain in part how my rather fearsome mogs bring in greys, presumably intercepted on the ground, but they never brought in Reds in a different house in a Red population area.

I should say this is a mixed blessing. Few things are worse than confronting the lower half of a squirrel, dismembered ion the hall carpet in the morning. I suffer for their art.

In fact, the score over the last three years is trapped and shooting: 7, Pi and Mu (for they are so named) :3. But for the moment a determined campaign means that we see Reds on the fringes of our woods, and Grey sighting are considerably lower than they were (maybe keeping out of sight :-).

[Chris G]

Re: Poxy Greys

It is just as well red squirrels live higher up and out of the way, cute as they are, UK red squirrels carry leprosy.

So try not to kiss them frequently.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Poxy Greys

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-37949557

"What we're trying to tease out now is did the squirrels get leprosy from people and have just been carrying it ever since, or in fact does it work the other way round - were humans originally infected from squirrels?"

[SuperGeek]

Re: Poxy Greys

"It is just as well red squirrels live higher up and out of the way, cute as they are, UK red squirrels carry leprosy.

So try not to kiss them frequently."

Or as the World Health Organisation recently advised, "Don't have unprotected sex with wild animals"

[Tom 7]

Re: Poxy Greys

Where I live in the west country I lose about 4 or 5 tons of hazelnuts to greys every year. The old boys tell me it wasn't a problem till the greys arrived. Alas modern farming means they're not considered a local food source any more and no-one bothers to cull them and I have no chance on my own.

[S4qFBxkFFg]

In the long run, pine marten recovery may be the best way to solve the grey problem. Actively being reintroduced in England: https://www.vwt.org.uk/projects-all/pine-marten-recovery-project/

[Anonymous Coward]

Interesting, as where I live we have red and grey, the red are very aggressive, while the slightly larger grey are skittish. But that doesn't mean our reds are the same as yours (smaller than the greys).

I saw a black squirrel at Niagara falls 2 years ago, same size as a grey, very pretty fur. I was told it was not a native breed.

[sad_loser]

BSM

Black squirrels are just a variant of grey squirrels

We occasionally see them in the UK.

I serve our squirrels as sushi ( squshi), soup (squoup) or curry (squrry), the consumption of which is a keenly awaited rite of passage for suitors of my teenage children.

BSM

[Tom 7]

I believe the black ones are just greys with a black coat. But you can get dark reds too!

[J27]

South-eastern Canada is full of the black subtype of grey squirrels. Almost all the squirrels around here are black and enormous.

[Richard Gray 1]

Yes, it is surprising that they haven't eradicated the feral beasts, but I suppose that you're now allowed to trap students.

It's Political Correctness gone mad I tell you ...

[PassiveSmoking]

Wow, what did students to do you that was so bad that you want to wipe them out?

[BebopWeBop]

Well they are students and I am no longer one...

[Headley_Grange]

What did students do to me?

(UK) Students don't drink any more - so there must be something wrong with them. Numerous unis have shut their bars completely - Portsmouth, Dundee, etc. The bar in my local uni is tiny, often empty and sells more coffee than beer. If students don't drink then what's the point of them?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What did students do to me?

>>(UK) Students don't drink any more - so there must be something wrong with them.

I'm guessing the massive tuition fee bills they get, coupled with not getting the grants, housing benefits and union subsidised beer that the older generation were entitled to has something to do with it?

We had it so good. And then had to make sure the next generation couldn't profit like we did!

[SloppyJesse]

Re: What did students do to me?

If you had housing benefit, grants and subsidised beer then I'm the 'next generation' as I didn't have access to any of those - but I definitely remember drinking large quantities.

My 3 offspring all went through a phase of drinking but all pretty much stopped by 20. They seemed mainly put off by the choice between trendy bars with music blaring or smelly pubs full of oldies.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What did students do to me?

Ordering "tables" of pints of beer during happy hours.

Ahh the good old days.

[Glen 1]

Re: What did students do to me?

"We had it so good. And then had to make sure the next generation couldn't profit like we did!"

I prefer the phrase "voted not to pay for it". As that puts the responsibility where it lies. With the voters.

When tuition fees were ~£1K per year, its was possible to support yourself from a part time job (with optionally minimal student debt). I know, because I did it.

With fees currently at £9k, even a median income person ( ~£25k ) would be paying more than a third of their income. That's assuming you could fit in around your full time job. Which tells you all you need to know about the types of folk the gov want getting degrees.

Student finance in the UK looks generous at first glance. Loans are large and low interest. You don't have to begin paying them back until after you earn over a reasonably high threshold.

Until you dig deeper into the payback rules on the other side. The way the thresholds work effectively create a new tax bracket where you are paying an *extra* 9% of what you earn over the threshold. (extra to other taxes, because no, its not tax deductible). Given the large sums owed you could be paying that rate into your 50s.

So its hilarious when politicians look like they are committing career suicide by suggesting regular income tax gets tweaked by a percent of so.

If you make education expensive, only the rich get educated. There are those that turn their nose up at everyone and their dog being able to get a Bachelors degree. Somehow, they see the competition as a bad thing.

The thing is, If all these folks were always capable of earning that degree, artificially limiting access for those people serves no purpose other than gate-keeping. (insert prejudice of choice here)

[harmjschoonhoven]

Re: What did students do to me?

Centuries ago people registered as students at the Leiden University in The Netherlands were exempt from paying local beer tax .... Don't know when that mos was retracted.

[Tom 7]

Re: What did students do to me?

I spent 3 years roaring drunk and having a great time at uni. I returned a couple of years after graduating to discover the head of security having a retirement do in the main uni bar (now closed) and, having been active in putting on lots of gigs and events we'd rubbed each other up a lot but had fun, went to wish him a happy retirement. He said 'I wish you buggers were back, the kids today are a nightmare - they work till 9pm and then get drunk and fight, they just dont know how to enjoy themselves'

Not saying beer is the answer to everything but if you choose your questions carefully...

[PassiveSmoking]

Re: What did students do to me?

Damn, if students don't get drunk then where will the Daily Mail get those photos from that prove that students are all debauched hedonistic brats who spend all their time puking in the street instead of studying? I mean they've already had to recycle images from 2017 for their annual "students suck" Fresher's week story in 2018

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What did students do to me?

"where will the Daily Mail get those photos"

They will pay friends and colleague to stage/fake the shots, as they do normally?

[Arthur the cat]

Wow, what did students to do you that was so bad that you want to wipe them out?

In my days as a CS academic there were one or two students who we wouldn't have minded seeing taken by wolves(*). Sadly there were no wolves on campus.

(*) Specifically one idiot who I supervised in 3rd year lab who told me almost every week that his terminal wasn't working when he'd simply failed to switch it on. His pièce de résistance was the time he insisted he had switched it on and it still wasn't working. To be fair he had, but as I pointed out while waving the three pin plug at him, plugging it in to the power is also needed.

[Antron Argaiv]

Your restraint is admirable.

I would have found it difficult not to advise said individual to seriously consider a career in Human Resources or Finance.

[Anonymous Coward]

They would have been under-qualified for HR with only a Computer Science degree.

[heyrick]

"Seems crazy that they haven't already tried to eradicate them."

Well, both students survived. That probably counts as "damn near tame" in Aussie terms.

[John Brown (no body)]

"Well, both students survived. That probably counts as "damn near tame" in Aussie terms."

To be fair, as per the article, the fox isn't a native. The fact it's survived against the native fauna is a tribute to its tenacity.

[Korev]

Seems crazy that they haven't already tried to eradicate them

I know, they get rid of a load each year and then stupidly let a load of Freshers in every autumn...

[Precordial thump]

Yeah, nah mate. Here in Straya we start semesters in the height of summer. Makes it harder for the freshers to spot the tiger snakes in the long grass.

[ibmalone]

You'd think in Australia of all places "don't interact with the wildlife" would be common knowledge.

(However, foxes don't belong in Australia, nor do rats or rabbits. The local wild animals might appreciate them gone.)

[You aint sin me, roit]

Let them eat rabbits

Rabbits and rats are the biggest problems, luckily foxes prey on them... so while they shouldn't have been introduced maybe now they are there let them do their thing.

Students who think foxes are cuddly and should be fed/stroked are acceptable collateral damage.

[rcomm]

Re: Let them eat rabbits

I knew an old lady. She swallowed a fly.

I don't know why she swallowed a fly. Perhaps she'll die...

[Imhotep]

Re: Let them eat rabbits

If the next step is to swallow a spider, remind her that this is Australia.

[Antron Argaiv]

Re: Let them eat rabbits

Flies are easily swallowed in Australia, because like the other wildlife, they are numerous and fearless.

Unlike the other wildlife, they are, for some unknown reason, not deadly.

[Denarius]

Re: Let them eat rabbits

Antron, not quite. Some of the flies carry truly fearsome gastro diseases. In an Oz summer, that is deadly if not treated quickly. So yes, even our flies can kill

[Anonymous C0ward]

Wild? It was absolutely livid.

[Anonymous Coward]

Considering that Oz is full of things that will try to kill you (Terry P quote - "some of the sheep don't bite"), why would anybody want to stroke an animal?

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

The question is how does a small furry animal that isn't terminally venomous survive ?

[Anonymous Coward]

According to just about all European folklore, foxes are cunning. Brains baffle brawn, at least part of the time.

[BebopWeBop]

Well, unassuming humans appear to get by despite the odds.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

But only Australians, anybody else gets immediately eaten

[Anonymous Coward]

This is why we can't have nice things.

They're not domesticated right, they're still wild animals even if they happen to live on and around a campus. I am baffled by people who think they can interact with random animals like they can with their pets.

Several years ago, my local university had to cut down what was basically a very small forest on campus and erect a few fences. Deer liked to hang out in the wooded area (as did people) and inevitably students would try to pet the deer or feed them (despite signs) and to no ones surprise some got hurt either as a result of getting to close or deer getting aggressive having associated people with food.

[Peter2]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

I'm not. It's in fashion to have animals portrayed as people in animated films and stupid people (of which there are a lot) can't separate fiction and fantasy.

Personally i'd be quite happy with keeping some cute looking, but vicious (and non lethal!) animals around just to demonstrate the meaning behind the term "once bitten, twice shy". Removing the things that bite just perpetuates the problem of ignorant students that believe that wild animals are actually just like them.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

"It's in fashion to have animals portrayed as people in animated films and stupid people (of which there are a lot) can't separate fiction and fantasy"

I hope these people do not watch Beastars.

[Teiwaz]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

animorphism I can somewhat understand.

But Princesses singing duets with clocks and candlesticks?

I'm always half expecting a reveal that said young lady is actually really barefoot, straightjacketed and drooling in a padded room banging her head off a padded wall.

[Outski]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

See the Buffy episode Normal Again https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0533464/?ref_=ttep_ep17

[Glen 1]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

"cute looking, but vicious (and non lethal!)"

Not the bees!

[John H Woods]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

It's not just wild animals - it's other peoples animals. I know lots of cases of horses that have become seriously ill or even died because well-meaning people think that they might like oaty bars or grass clippings. Unfortunately, horses eat tasty things and, unlike dogs, can't vomit.

[Clunking Fist]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

And unlike dogs, don't eat vomit.

[Bowlers]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

Students...will they never learn?

[Imhotep]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

Going by personal experience: No, they won't. Not until they leave campus and have to.

[Mark 85]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

Several years ago, my local university had to cut down what was basically a very small forest on campus

Somehow that just seems wrong to cut down the trees and put a fence up to keep the deer out. Would it not have been better to fence in the humans to keep them away from the deer?

[Nunyabiznes]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

You should look up some YT vids of people in Yellowstone Park. People routinely try to interact with bison, wolves! and grizzly bears!! Even the black bears will gnaw on you given the opportunity (ie you force your way into their personal space).

I've watched people approach bull elk in rut, cow moose's calves, and bison personally. Yelling at them doesn't have the effect you think it would.

[BebopWeBop]

Re: This is why we can't have nice things.

I'll bet the animals reactions to their actions have an effect though!

[Winkypop]

Foxes, rabbits, toads, et al

No place in Aus.

Not native.

Not dangerous enough.

[TonyJ]

Re: Foxes, rabbits, toads, et al

"... Foxes, rabbits, toads, et al

No place in Aus.

Not native.

Not dangerous enough..."

Reminds of the other Oz joke:

Scientists have just concluded the longest, most detailed study of the flora and fauna of Australia, to finally determine what is not harmful to humans.

And the answer is "Some of the sheep"

[Steve Davies 3]

Re: Some of the sheep

Naturally there was emphasis on the word 'Some'...

[Rameses Niblick the Third Kerplunk Kerplunk Whoops Where's My Thribble?]

Re: Some of the sheep

Oz joke? I thought this was courtesy of Sir PTerry, in "The Last Continent" , circa 1998.

Death held out a hand. I WANT, he said, A BOOK ABOUT THE DANGEROUS CREATURES OF FOURECKS–

Albert looked up and dived for cover, receiving only mild bruising because he had the foresight to curl into a ball.

After a while Death, his voice a little muffled, said: ALBERT, I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A HAND HERE.

Albert scrambled up and puled at some of the huge volumes, finally dislodging enough of them to allow his master to clamber free.

HMM… Death picked up a book at random and read the cover.

DANGEROUS MAMMALS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS, FISH, JELLYFISH, INSECTS, SPIDERS, CRUSTACEANS, GRASSES, TREES, MOSSES, AND LICHENS OF TERROR INCOGNITA, he read. His gaze moved down the spine. VOLUME 29C, he added. OH. PART THREE, I SEE.

He glanced up at the listening shelves. POSSIBLY IT WOULD BE SIMPLER IF I ASKED FOR A LIST OF THE HARMLESS CREATURES OF THE AFORESAID CONTINENT?

They waited.

IT WOULD APPEAR THAT–

“No, wait, master. Here it comes.”

Albert pointed to something white zigzagging lazily through the air. Finally Death reached up and caught the single sheet of paper.

He read it carefully and then turned it over briefly just in case anything was written on the other side.

“May I?” said Albert. Death handed him the paper.

“‘Some of the sheep,’“ Albert read aloud. “Oh, well. Maybe a week at the seaside’d be better then.”

[BebopWeBop]

Re: Some of the sheep

Actually a British joke, but I am given to understand by my Aus friends that many othem appreciate it.

[You aint sin me, roit]

Re: Foxes, rabbits, toads, et al

And the sheep are immigrants...

[I am the liquor]

Re: Foxes, rabbits, toads, et al

The only place Aussie CompSci students should be seeing foxes and rabbits is in an example problem on their Programming 101 course.

[Twanky]

occasional rabbits

Shirley everyone knows that there's no such thing as an 'occasional rabbit'. Whatever the occasion, they're always late.

'Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!'

[Chris G]

Re: occasional rabbits

The Occasion for rabbits, is being ' in the mix'.

Populations go from decimated by periodic plagues of mixamitosis to periodic plaguse of bunnies.

As far as petting foxes is concerned, this is a university full of bright kids right?

It would be even funnier if it was in Darwin uni'.

[Glen 1]

Re: occasional rabbits

"university full of bright kids right?"

Yes. However, experience is the best teacher.

Off topic sidenote: I always wonder were folks in the IT industry think others got their experience from.

I sometimes see people posting words to the effect of "You don't hire people to do X unless they have already done X for years" or "that's what you get for hiring people who don't know what they're doing"

Its as if they expect university to have taught their new hires years worth of experience in this one particular job near the start of their career. I wonder if these people stopped learning some time ago, and if these are the folks writing the job ads.

See also: Junior developer roles requiring years of experience. If you have that experience, you're not applying for roles with 'Junior' in the title.

[Twanky]

University authorities will attempt to reduce debris in the hope that trims campus rodent populations and causes foxes to move elsewhere of their own accord.

They're looking at the problem wrongly. The campus is littered with McD and other fast food outlets' rubbish and the rubbish attracts rodents and they attract foxes which bite the students. Seems to me that they'd do better to purge the campus of slovenly students.

In other news: Research finds Comp-Sci students tastier than McDonald's chicken nuggets.

[Headley_Grange]

@Twanky: "In other news....": that would be Fox News would it?

[ibmalone]

It's the circle of life.

[DavCrav]

"They're looking at the problem wrongly. The campus is littered with McD and other fast food outlets' rubbish and the rubbish attracts rodents and they attract foxes which bite the students. Seems to me that they'd do better to purge the campus of slovenly students."

Or purge it of McDonalds.

[Anonymous Coward]

And nothing of value would be lost. Certainly not nutritional value.

[Anonymous Coward]

To be expected

If you fed me McNuggets, I'd bite you.

[The Oncoming Scorn]

So Then No Mozzarella

& obviously no FriesFox.

[Neil Barnes]

Student puts hand full of food near apex predator

And is surprised when bitten... think of it as evolution in action.

[Filippo]

Re: Student puts hand full of food near apex predator

Student puts hand MADE of food near apex predator...

[sanmigueelbeer]

Re: Student puts hand full of food near apex predator

food near apex predator -- what can go wrong, huh?

[Denarius]

Once caught

Most of us shoot the damned things,caught or otherwise. Brought in by some pom major whining "farmer always dislike a gentleman's pastime" Haven't found his grave yet to spit on it. Also, judging from the airhead city dwellers I have had to work with, or worse, meet at polling booths, most of them seem to think Disneys cartoons like Bambi are nature documentaries. Much prefer the Mr Hell show parody of Lion King.

[Caver_Dave]

Re: Once caught

Tomasz Schafernaker, a BBC weather presenter, recently admitted on TV that he thought sheep and lambs were different species until his mid 30's. And this guy managed to get a degree in Meteorology!

[Stephen Wilkinson]

Re: Once caught

Probably because he had his head in the clouds

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Re: Once caught

It's fine, because contrary to popular belief, sheep ≠ clouds. Anyway, never mind his degree in meteorology, Tomasz Schafernaker must have a master's degree in seamlessly covering up after a rude gesture. But it seems to be from the University of Wrexham.

[Precordial thump]

Re: Once caught

de: Schaf = sheep

Sounds like his ancestors knew more about them than he did. Curious as to exactly how, though...

[Clunking Fist]

Re: Once caught

I always thought young girls were given ponies... that grew up into horses as there masters aged...

[Clunking Fist]

Re: Once caught

Wombles aren't real. But it seems that rooster wombles are.

[Fading]

I see an obvious flaw in their plan.

"University authorities will attempt to reduce debris in the hope that trims campus rodent populations and causes foxes to move elsewhere of their own accord." but according to the story the students are another food source - so perhaps they need to be culled so the foxes move on?

[OssianScotland]

Subject Specificity

Are foxes attracted only to Comp Sci students, or have other disciplines been involved to (Enquiring Minds etc...)

If the former, is it down to behaviour of that student cohort, or is there something special about them the foxes find attractive (regular users of Mozilla browsers, perhaps?).

If the latter, we need a full set of data - Student Subject, circumstances of bite, result....

There should be at least a PhD in it somewhere!

[Updraft102]

Really?

Us are supposed to be the smart ones, you say?

[seven of five]

Re: Really?

Ah, sorry, not you :)

(sorry for being mean, but this was a comment too tempting not to make)

[anthonyhegedus]

It's ironic that foxes - a cute, friendly mammal which is fastidiously clean and remarkably bonded with man - could possibly be euthanised, whereas the preponderance of all manner of really dangerous animals exists in Australia as a whole. Why don't they do something about the spiders, the insects, the sharks (both sea-sharks and the new land-sharks I think I've heard about), and the venomous shrews or whatever they're called?

It seems its one rule for scary-as-hell arachnids and another for cute vulpine quadrupeds!

[Anonymous Coward]

New?

Naw, Land-Sharks have been around for decades...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_NS2H55dxI

[W.S.Gosset]

Actually our jumping spiders are really friendly.

Seriously.

[RockBurner]

Intelligence (smarts) has nothing to do with taught knowledge or learnt experience (although they are complimentary).

I'm not at all surprised that young people brought up almost exclusively on Peppa Pig and other similar 'entertain the children but hide the reality' media in their early years; and educated in a stripped to the marrow formalised system that focuses on box-ticking; have no idea what the natural world is actually like and what sort of behaviour to expect from real wild animals. (Despite the preponderance of nature documentaries).

[Neil Barnes]

Nature documentaries

Even then, not really helped by 'but this mouse was lucky... it got away!' editing/commentary.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Nature documentaries

But you can't let the poor little darlings know there is anything nasty out there... you must protect them and coddle them and keep them safe - and then watch in surprise when they - and you - discover that sometimes speaking nicely to something (or someone) doesn't help and that the nasty man in the balaclava really doesn't give a damn that you want to commiserate about his childhood, he just wants to take your money and possessions and will stab you if you don't hand them over - and he might just decide to stab you anyway, even if you do hand them over.

[Strahd Ivarius]

Re: Nature documentaries

better than "this moose was unlucky... we got away!" perhaps?

[Alister]

Yep, we are now seeing the situation round here that tourists walking through a farmer's fields are complaining about cows and sheep being threatening, and asking for the animals to be locked up.

[Anonymous Coward]

That's nothing. Some Londoners moved into Chew Valley next door to a pig farm and then complained to the Council about the smell.

The ignorance of city people about country life has been a thing since long before the first student offered a fox what was either a tasty looking finger or, this being Australia, something resembling a snake.

[x 7]

foxes are trivial compared with............

the Drop Bears

what are the ozzies doing about those?

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/drop-bear/

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2013/04/drop-bears-target-tourists,-study-says/

[BebopWeBop]

Re: foxes are trivial compared with............

Dressing their hair with vegemite, adorning it with forks and using a proper accent one assumes

[Chris G]

Re: foxes are trivial compared with............

Yeah Thylarctus Plummetus, deadly drop bears are only scared of Yara-ma-yha-mu, an even deadlier beast that is possibly related or at least drops out of trees but sucks the blood of its victim.

[Anonymous Coward]

Australia

If there was one country where I thought everyone knew that all the wildlife is out to kill you...

[C.Carr]

Idiot college kids thinks: Well, I think this wild animal is really cute, so it necessarily follows then that the animal won't bite me if I move my hand towards its head.

Dumbarses.

[Anonymous Coward]

Meanwhile, the headline in the "Australian Fox Times" reads...

Local fox heroically defends himself as human attempt to poison him with "chicken" nugget!

[ChrisElvidge]

Serious bites?

Being bitten by an unknown animal should always be treated as possible tetanus / rabies transmission. (I know rabies is not endemic (yet)).

[LoPath]

Journalist missed the obvious

What does the fox say... about all of this?

[Alister]

Re: Journalist missed the obvious

That would be Fox News, and nobody believes them...

[Anonymous Coward]

Technically I own several small businesses.

Of ferrets.

[Anonymous Coward]

Stupid students. I love feeding wild animals, last time I was in oz I gave grey kangaroos some peach stones and a possum who was rooting through a bin in a melbourne park after dark an apple core.

[JassMan]

"stupid students. I love feeding wild animals"

Stupid AC - kangaroos are herbivores. They should never be given possums which are made of meat even if served with a side order of peach stones which are also toxic (being full of prussic acid.)

[Clunking Fist]

Yeah! What did the possum do to deserve being feed to the 'roo? Possums are a protected species in Australia. Bad human.

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought that was the "joke" - poisoning grey kangaroos with peach stones.

But who calls it "Prussic acid" these days (note capitalisation unless you're French)? Cyanide.

[x 7]

Not prussic acid, its Amygdalin - which can release cyanide

[Gene Cash]

Eating CS students

They should move to the US... one CS student here would last an entire fox family all winter.

[First Light]

Wombats?

Forget foxes, wombats are the real danger.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/22/woman-attacked-by-wombat-thought-she-was-going-to-die

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Wombats?

"Wombat" sounds so harmless - like a small, cuddly variety of bat. And then you realise it's an extremely strong animal with a near-bulletproof padded backside that it can use as a weapon, the size of a Labrador,and territorial. And they drop cubic faeces which they use as building bricks for marking territory.

And that's part of the less worrying Australian fauna.

[Roger Varley]

Re: Wombats?

Warning: Old Joke Alert

Q: What do you play with a Wombat?

A: Wom

[ChrisBedford]

Grammar!

*WE* computer folks are supposed to be smart enough to know how to use English, too, right?

[guyr]

*WE* computer folks are supposed to be smart enough to know how to use English

Same thought - apparently English is not a prerequisite for writing Reg columns.

[guyr]

It's likely the foxes will be euthanised

No, that's what we tell ourselves we do to our dogs, so we are able to sleep following the deed. The foxes will be simply killed.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It's likely the foxes will be euthanised

We don't "tell ourselves". When your dog has developed inoperable liver cancer and you ask the vet not to bring her round from the sedative, you wish that the medical profession would do the same for you. Still can't sleep that night, but from sadness not guilt.

[Clunking Fist]

Squirrel

In Kensington Gardens, I proffered some of my muffin to a friendly squirrel. He or she promptly put their upper front teeth through my thumb nail. I guess feeding swans first, lowered my defences.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Squirrel

There used to be quite a lot of people proffering muffins in Kensington Gardens, but a prudent person certainly wouldn't want to eat one. You never knew where it had been.