Burlingame offers solution to 'mitigate' fox population

BURLINGAME (KSNT) - The City of Burlingame recently shared a list of nuisance animal trappers who could help 'mitigate' the city's local fox population - a process that usually kills the fox.

On Aug. 19, a concerned citizen addressed the Burlingame city council about the overpopulation of foxes in the community. The citizen asked what the city could do to help with the problem.

Chief of Police Matthew Baker said the city doesn't handle foxes but said the city can loan live traps to citizens. He said once an animal is caught, it's up to the person who trapped it to dispose of.

"Last council meeting had some complaints of foxes in town, an excessive number of them," Baker told 27 News. "Its been taking out some people's outdoor cats."

Baker said the only reports he had heard of regarding the fox issue were for cats that had been killed.

"The more outdoor cats we have in the community the more likely it is to bring in foxes to the community," Baker said.

On Thursday, Sept. 5 the City of Burlingame shared a list of nine individuals and businesses that are licensed in the county to deal with nuisance animals. 27 News contacted one of the businesses on the list to see what they do to handle calls for foxes. Karl Soudek of Critter Capture KS said that in the 20 years of handling nuisance wildlife, he'd never caught a fox in a live trap.

"They're almost impossible to trap alive," Soudek said.

Soudek said that once easy prey like rabbits and small game runs out, foxes start looking at kittens, cats and small dogs as a food source. He said that the food source or population of foxes needs to be eliminated to solve the issue.

"It can be done [trapping foxes alive] but it's going to take way more skill than the average trapper has," Soudek said.

According to K.A.R. 115-16-6, wildlife may be taken under the authorization of a wildlife control permit only when one or more of the following circumstances exist:

• The wildlife is found in or near buildings.
• The wildlife is destroying or about to destroy property.
• The wildlife is creating a public health or safety hazard or other nuisance.
• Subject to the restrictions described in this regulation and on the permit, a wildlife control permit.

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