I always thought "The Silver Fox" was a pretty fun name for a well like guy at a company who is good at making money, or good with the ladies, or both...
Anyway, someone wants to import them into Aus. I noticed they quoted that there is 30,000,000 feral red foxes in Australia. They out number people!!
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www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/silver-fox-import-plan-condemned-20110905-1jubj.html
ANIMAL shelters will be placed under further pressure if the importation of silver foxes as an exotic domestic pet is permitted, the RSPCA has warned.
There are more than 30 million feral red foxes in Australia and the RSPCA has joined a chorus of criticism of an application to the federal government to import silver foxes.
''The rationale for importing the silver fox to Australia is simple: a new sort of unique pet. Foxes can have all the friendliness of a dog with the independence of a cat. Like a dog is not a wolf, the silver fox is not a wild fox, though they are the same species,'' the application from an unnamed person in NSW says.
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RSPCA chief scientist Bidda Jones said silver foxes are the same species as the red fox, which is a major pest, and when undomesticated breeds like foxes or dingoes are kept as pets people tend to have problems.
''Keeping or breeding wild animal crosses like foxes or dingoes is problematic. These animals add another burden to animal shelters as well as being a risk to native species'' Dr Jones said.
Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said legal issues on the application would be presented to him in a few weeks.
''At first glance it seems insane,'' Mr Burke said.
Victorian Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said the government would oppose any move to import fox species into Australia. He said foxes already cost Victoria $39 million annually.
"Importing Patterson's curse, rabbits and the red fox all sounded like a great idea at the time but now they have become a rod for our backs,'' Mr Walsh said.
A bounty on foxes and wild dogs will be introduced next month to reduce numbers.
The National Farmers Federation and the Coalition have labelled the application and its consideration, as ''political correctness gone mad.''
''Foxes are not pets, they're predators. We are calling on the government to reject this application outright," NFF president Jock Laurie said.
Is this the domesticated breed from Siberia? If so, I think they are only letting them be sold if they are de-sexed. So this would solve the problem with them getting to be a big pest.
I know a particular 'Silver Fox' from your town Simondo.
Silver Fox or Fast Eddie. Lovely guy and even beat Tom Curren at Bells.
lol, I can imagine your face doggie when you see some Rocker walking their pet Silver Fox down main street... Maybe I'll get one, dunno how my two country whippetXs would like it..
They may be a fad that will create a bit of excitement at first as people want the chance to own an exotic pet. but this will wear off when people realise that they may not be as 'exotic' as once originally thought. I think the RSPCA are right on this one.
I had a business with a mate (ranga) as my 2nd in charge (also main spray painter) for many years...our last apprentice nicknamed him "the fox", and a few years back, wrote on the door of the spray booth 'the foxes den' - resulted in nearly a punch-up when said rang emerged & saw it!
Anyways, he's mellowed & getting a bit grey around the ears - hence the apprentice (although now qualified, but still a sh!t stirrer) refers to him as 'Silver Fox'. Don't know if he's rich, or great with the ladies for that matter, but thought that it might be relevant?
