20 minutes – Animal Hospital has a student fox problem

"The Zurich Animal Hospital wants foxes to be slaughtered," the independent animal rights activists in Zurich (ATAZ) write in a statement. Circles of veterinary students have learned that the pet store is planning to have foxes shot in the vicinity of the animal hospital by the game warden, as they happen a little more. "Animal hospitals must protect and save animal life, not shoot free animals that have not hurt them," the statement said. ATAZ therefore asks to refrain from these shootings.

Patrick Kircher, the medical director of the Zurich University Hospital, confirms these considerations on request of 20 minutes. The problem is not that foxes only occur a little more. "We have three wild foxes currently living in and around the stables of the veterinary hospital," says Kircher. They have become so confident about humans by feeding them that they sometimes arrive at the doors of the operating rooms.

"We work every day to save animals and not kill them"

"Since a fox can also transmit disease, it is a very delicate situation for a hospital, and the behavior of these foxes is anything but normal, "said the director of the veterinary hospital. In addition, foxes were very rare in cars. "If they put themselves at ease, they can hardly remove them, and that will then be transferred to other generations," says Kircher.

Several ways of solving the fox problem have already been discussed. "However, we can not close the stables because of the hot temperatures and a release is due to the legal situation out of the question," said Kircher. The most sustainable solution is therefore probably to take the foxes out of the stock. "Of course, it hurts a lot, we work every day to save the animals and not kill them, but for the overall situation it seems the best solution." But a final decision has not yet been made .

Gamekeeper: "Murder is the Last Measure"

At the Animal Hospital, it is assumed that the foxes were fed by people from the Irchel area and so have sought a home in this environment.It is also the opinion shared by the gamekeeper Stadthorse Fabian Kern: "The behavior of these foxes coincides with a report that I received in the spring that the students of the Irchel Campus were feeding young foxes with canteen meals. "This fault led to foxes trusting people." You should also be aware that with such behavior, the animal is private. any dignity, because the animal does not chase afterwards, "says Kern.

The gamekeeper is in contact with the veterinary hospital and will be in the coming weeks to make a photo yourself. "But suicide is indeed the last resort. There is still the possibility of chasing these foxes out of the country or blocking them with building measures of the stables, "says Kern. So, there could always be a happy ending for everyone involved.

(Sea)