The mating season for foxes is now past. The nightly 'wow-wow-wow' of dog foxes and yelping of vixens was heard only infrequently in my area compared with ten years ago.

This will please many people and the animal attracts much criticism for various reasons. One concerns attacks on people but they are extremely rare compared with similar problems caused by dogs numbering thousands every year so seldom newsworthy.

We either love or loathe foxes but the animal fills a necessary niche in the environment exercising a notable measure of pest control, preying on undesirable creatures such as rats and mice which might otherwise swamp our sometimes untidy waste disposal habits.

The ten year old fox hunting ban remains a controversial issue but there are probably more foxes living in towns than in the wider countryside.

The animal's diet is varied. Rodents, a few birds, fruit, especially blackberries and topping the list of natural foods earthworms, hoovered up on wet nights in large quantities.

Then, being very enterprising, they will take advantage of any food we leave about. Of course, foxes can be a nuisance and destructive. Recently I forgot to bring in my rubber gardening shoes and the following morning found them chewed to pieces. Foxes love rubber!

The next night, probably the same animal pulled up by their roots several flag iris from my pond, no doubt scenting hibernating frogs at the bottom.