FOXES have taken advantage of the peace and quiet of lockdown by getting adventurous in an Old Town neighbourhood.

With fewer people out and about, the wild animals have been spotted on roofs and running along garden fences in broad daylight.

Like so many others Lorenzo Gomez has been spending more time at home during Lockdown 3 and has started to notice more wildlife in the area. 

But he was taken by surprise when he saw a couple of foxes living the high life. 

He told the Adver: “We do get a lot of wildlife around here but it’s unusual to see a pair of foxes at 11.30am climbing on top of houses, running around in our gardens and along our fences. 

“In the first lockdown we had ducks flying into our garden and into our pond every day. It’s quite surreal to have all this wildlife in the suburb. 

“These foxes were playing and were squealing. It is something you expect to happen at night, not in the middle of the day.”

Lorenzo lives with his partner Carl Davies in Bouverie Avenue and both are enjoying the spectacle. 

They believe because of the national lockdowns and the streets becoming quieter wild animals have felt safe to roam the streets. 

The 34-year-old said: “There’s usually a lot of traffic around here, especially police and ambulance sirens. But I’ve noticed it has quietened down since the lockdown was announced which could be symptomatic of the wildlife coming back out as there’s less hazards in the area.

“It’s nice to know that there’s also positive impacts of the lockdowns. There’s always going to be people who don’t like foxes, but from my point of view it’s a good thing that we’re seeing more animals coming out. 

“The upside of being at home you have time to notice these things and appreciate them.”
According to Oak and Furrows Wildlife Rescue Centre it’s likely the foxes were hunting for food. 

A spokesman for the centre said: “Foxes will go wherever there is food, quite often there’s actually more foxes in town than there are in the countryside – mostly because there’s more food available in these sorts of areas. 

“They are reasonable climbers, they can climb over and along fences, they are able to get on roofs, I’ve known for foxes footprints to be discovered in snow on top of roofs.”

Although they are not considered to be dangerous people should avoid going near foxes unless it’s necessary as they can bite in a similar way to dogs if they are protecting their young. 

People should look out for injured or unwell foxes and report any cases to Oak and Furrows if they are limping or have fur missing.