A close encounter of the fox kind: St Kilda East woman surprised by visit from sneaky pest
It’s the last thing you’d expect to see after returning home from an early-morning gym session in inner-city Melbourne, but a woman got the fright of her life when this bold fox jumped onto the bonnet of her car. SEE THE PICTURES
Inner South
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A St Kilda East woman had a frightening encounter of the furry kind when a curious fox leapt onto her car.
But Maria Borowski had the presence of mind to snap some great photos of the urban intruder.
She returned home from the gym at 6am and had just parked in her driveway when the red fox pounced on the bonnet of her Volkswagen Golf.
“I was so shocked,” she said.
“I started screaming and taking photos of it.”
Ms Borowski, who lives in an apartment block, said the fox eventually dismounted her car and ran into a neighbour’s yard.
“We had a stare-off for a minute and then it just jumped off and walked away,” she said.
“It was really weird.”
Ms Borowski said, since that first fox encounter in April, she has seen a few more of them in her neighbourhood.
“The other day, I saw a fox on my fence just grab this possum … and when I was showing my neighbours these photos one came and stood at their front door,” she said.
Ms Borowski said she has a new puppy so is concerned about leaving it outside unsupervised.
“I wonder whether we should be concerned for our safety, and our pets’ safety,” she said.
MORE: WATCH SNEAKY FOX STEALS $300 BLUE SHOES FROM DOOR STEP
FOX CAUGHT BURYING GOLF BALLS IN GARDEN IN BRIGHTON
BREAKING POINT AT SANDRINGHAM GOLF CLUB AFTER FOX ATTACKS
According to the Agriculture Victoria website, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were declared a pest animal in 1994.
It is illegal to keep or sell foxes without a permit and the department warns feeding them will encourage foxes to become pets
Despite popular belief that foxes are country pests, fox densities are higher in urban areas than rural areas.
Foxes are considered a threat to dozens of native animals.
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