Fox, badger or something else?

[slowworm]

Today I discovered a dead roe kid, it'll be about three and a half months old.

It has been attacked by something, one ear missing and red marks over its whole neck with puncture marks on its throat. I assume that's what killed it. All its intestines and organs are missing, with the whole underside being opened up an eaten. Four legs and head all intact and no further damage.

My question is what is likely to have brought the deer down? There's badgers about, with a latrine a couple of feet away but would they chase and grab a young deers neck? I'm assuming fox as there's also plenty about and I've found similar lambs.

It could also be a dog I suppose and there's rumours of big cats...

 

[JonathanD]

Any pictures?

 

[slowworm]

Here are a couple of photos.

*** WARNING *** Photos are of a half eaten young deer so don't look if you're squeamish or at work.

Pic one

Pic two

 

[ozzy1977]

I have seen this sort of thing before but in anarea with no known badgers so I would suggest fox.

 

[JonathanD]

Given the absence of any cats in the UK capable of doing that (maybe ), I'd have to go with fox.

 

[Hibrion]

I'd be inclined to say it was a fox, mate.

 

[Leigh Robinson]

I see you are from Devon.

I would say it's consistent with a big cat kill. Puncture to the neck, Large meat areas eaten. I suspect a fox would've chewed up more of it and not killed it through a neck puncture.

Send the details to Big Cat Researchers. They will be very interested. I wished I lived nearby. I would be putting up a trail cam straight away!

 

[Macaroon]

That doesn't look like a fox kill to me - too neat; never heard of badgers doing the punctured neck thing, either. Something says feral cat to me..............Dunno though....................

 

[slowworm]

Well, big cat hairs have allegedly been found in a nearby wood. However, I have had a trail cam up in this area for a couple of years and have seen badgers and fox but no big cat.

 

[Leigh Robinson]

Was it a baited area the cam was in?
Might be worth baiting up with a leg of deer and get the cam on it.

 

[JonathanD]

Is there any damage to the rump?

 

[slowworm]

No noticeable rump damage. Looking at the area of the kill I first found an area of blood covered grass with bits of fur laying about. So the corpse is about 5m away from the kill.

I had wondered if a fox killed and then something else tucked in, although I found the remains in the afternoon and they looked very fresh.

I've not baited an area with meat for the trail cam, I tend to place it in a position where it'll catch animals moving about. It's not currently set as last time it was down something opened the case clips. You would assume a person would have done that but I was nearby and didn't see anyone - another mystery.

 

[John Fenna]

Looks like a Cat kill to me...

 

[mrcharly]

The guts being eaten first is something cats do - they can't digest plant matter so eat part-digested matter in other animal's intestines.

The ear being ripped off is something that might happen if a dog was attacking - I wouldn't expect a cat to do that.

The eating pattern and bites to the throat look like a cat, but since the existence of big cats seems unlikely, I'm going to go with it being a dog attack.

 

[slowworm]

I've shown some pics to a few friends who've seen dog attacks on lambs and they think it's likely to be a dog attack that's killed the kid and possibly fox/badger that's eaten the insides. I'll look out for signs of a big cat just in case.

Time for a solo camp.

 

[JonathanD]

It does show signs of a dog kill. That is certainly their MO. I think your friends are right.

 

[Chiseller]

Dogs that pull ears are not common in the UK , boar catching dogs overseas are trained to pull ears of wild boar....

Nailed Horbury Bridge rapids .....wooooooo

 

[dwardo]

Werewolf?

 

[slowworm]

Werewolf?

That would be the logical explanation if there's been a full moon. I've always wanted to try casting a few silver bullets as well.

The most likely thing is those monsters on Attack the Block.

Or, come to think of it, neck trauma and then something bursting out of it's stomach reminds me a bit of...

 

[Tyla]

I'd say dog kill, but one that's had the time to eat rather than a pet who'd get hauled off home. Many strays about?