Connect with us
DAPA Banner
DAPA Coin
DAPA
COIN PAYMENT ASSET
PRIVACY · BLOCKDAG · HOMOMORPHIC ENCRYPTION · RUST
ElGamal Encrypted MINE DAPA
🚫 GENESIS SOLD OUT
DAPAPAY COMING

NewsBeat

Trump paused attacks on Iran to make space for talks, US ambassador says

Published

on

A woman with short brown hair looks directly into the camera with a slight smiling expression. She is wearing a pink top and a silver necklace with a heart charm.

President Donald Trump has paused attacks on Iran for the second night in a row to give diplomacy more time, the US ambassador to the UN said.

Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, ambassador Mike Waltz said the president was “giving talks some space, he’s giving it a little bit of room”.

An Iranian army spokesperson said on Sunday that Tehran had halted “retaliatory” attacks in the region in response.

The pause follows nearly two weeks of daily US strikes and tit-for-tat attacks, effectively unravelling the ceasefire struck in June.

Advertisement

Asked whether Trump had decided against escalation for now, Waltz told NBC: “I wouldn’t go that far at all. The president is keeping all options on the table.”

Waltz also rejected reports in the New York Times, external that administration officials had warned expanding hostilities could dangerously drain a diminished stockpile of air defence munitions.

“The US military… has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be,” he said.

As of Sunday evening, Trump had not spoken publicly on the latest developments, but earlier posted computer-generated images on his Truth Social account that depicted US military planes bombing Iranian ships and Kharg island.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Iran and Oman held several rounds of technical talks in Tehran on Friday and Saturday to discuss management of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei.

Disputes over control of the strait reignited US-Iran tensions earlier this month and it remains a major block to permanently ending the war.

Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in June to halt military operations and reopen the strait, as well as to reach an agreement to end the war over the following 60 days.

But after Iranian forces attacked tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on 13 July, the US resumed airstrikes on the country and reinstated its naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Advertisement

Iran retaliated with attacks on US military facilities and bases across the Middle East, killing four American soldiers. The US strikes have since killed dozens of people, according to Iran’s health ministry.

In the UK, new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said he would meet his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in the coming week to discuss the strait, which is one of the world’s key transport routes for oil, liquid natural gas and other essential commodities.

“When it comes to securing maritime freedom and free commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, that’s where we are absolutely aligned,” Streeting told the BBC.

Last week, oil prices hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May, as the renewed fighting stoked fears over global energy supplies.

Advertisement

As the war nears its fifth month, it remains largely unpopular in the US, with a new poll from CBS/YouGov suggesting 57% of Americans are frustrated about the conflict and only 19% optimistic.

Thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East since the US-Israeli war with Iran began in February, official figures show, with the vast majority coming from Iran and Lebanon.

President Trump is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House on Tuesday.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

NewsBeat

What Happens When Lightning Strikes A Plane In Flight?

Published

on

What Happens When Lightning Strikes A Plane In Flight?

I’m not an anxious flyer, but even I have to admit that the idea of a plane being struck by lightning mid-air terrifies me.

Perhaps it shouldn’t – after all, the National Weather Service of America said most commercial planes “are hit by lightning an average of one or two times a year.”

But why does it happen, and is it even dangerous for the passengers and crew inside?

There’s a LOT more lightning than I realised

Advertisement

Most lightning strikes to planes occur at altitudes between 5,000 and 15,000 feet, Simple Flying shared. That’s because takeoff and landing is when the vehicles pass through clouds, which are electrically charged.

Edward Rupke, senior engineer at Lightning Technologies, Inc. told Scientific American that planes actually trigger lightning strikes as they pass through non-striking, but electrically-charged, clouds.

“Actually, aircraft often initiate the strike because their presence enhances the ambient electric fields typical for thunderstorms and facilitates electrical breakdown through air,” the US National Weather Service explained.

The strike attaches itself to an extremity like the nose or tip of the plane first. Then, the electricity moves along the outer “skin” of the plane as it flies through the strike, eventually leaving the body of the plane when it leaves the polarity.

Advertisement

Is it dangerous?

It used to be. 1967 was the last noted commercial plane crash due to a lightning strike – the contact caused the fuel tank to explode.

Nowadays, however, planes are made from seamless aluminium or even more advanced composite materials that conduct electricity well enough to keep them away from the sensitive parts of the plane.

Occasionally, pilots might notice flickering lights or very brief interference.

Advertisement

“When it is suspected that a plane was hit by lightning, there is a mandatory inspection for damage, which can delay flights and be quite expensive,” the US National Weather Service revealed.

So, for that reason, pilots try to steer clear of thunderstorms.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

BBC Radio 1 star Gemma Cairney gives birth! DJ welcomes her second child with partner Cameron McAllister and shares sweet snaps of newborn

Published

on

BBC Radio 1 star Gemma Cairney revealed she has given birth to her second child as she shared sweet photos to Instagram on Sunday

Advertisement

BBC Radio 1 star Gemma Cairney revealed she has given birth to her second child as she shared sweet photos to Instagram on Sunday. 

The presenter, 41, and her partner Cameron McAllister – who first became parents in August 2024 – welcomed the newest addition to their family last week.

Gemma beamed as she cuddled her newborn – whose identity has not been publicly revealed – and a funny picture of Cameron dressed in scrubs in the hospital.

She wrote: ‘Had another baby this week with the most beautiful goober of a man that I ever was to meet after travelling the world to find him. LOVE YOU @cameronmac815 and this miracle family.

Advertisement

‘*Posted from a sofa of in the haze of restful ecstasy and a multitude of painkillers* (sic)’

Gemma’s celebrity pals including Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton and Paloma Faith showed the couple with congratulatory messages.     

BBC Radio 1 star Gemma Cairney revealed she has given birth to her second child as she shared sweet photos to Instagram on Sunday

Advertisement
Gemma beamed as she cuddled her newborn - whose identity has not been publicly revealed - and a funny picture of Cameron dressed in scrubs in the hospital

Gemma beamed as she cuddled her newborn – whose identity has not been publicly revealed – and a funny picture of Cameron dressed in scrubs in the hospital

In April, Gemma announced she was pregnant with her second child by posting a sweet shot of the blossoming bump to her Instagram account.

Gemma’s photo showed her sunbathing with her blouse lifted to show off the bump, with the caption: ‘Together we sunbathe ‘n dream (sic)’.

The presenter announced she had welcomed her first child in August 2024 as she took to Instagram to share a snap of herself and Cameron cradling their new arrival.

Advertisement

Captioning her sweet post, Gemma revealed that their baby was born two weeks ago before gushing that she’d ‘never felt love like this’.

She penned: ‘TWO WEEKS of the best madness, blessings, bliss, breathes, prayers, tears & momentous delirium.

‘I can’t offer enough thanks to our friends / kin, midwives, soothsayers, staunch support!’

She continued: ‘Never ever felt love like this. We are a fresh fam of 3, yipeeeeeeeee.’

Advertisement

Gemma has been keeping her followers updated with her pregnancy in recent months on Instagram.

Two months prior, the glowing mother-to-be cradled her bump while posing in a glam black dress.

Speaking about her changing body, she wrote in the caption: ‘Our bodies are outstanding ya know, I’m rollin’ in awe of mine and yours.’

While in May, she shared a snap of her silhouette against a window as she looked down at her growing stomach.

Advertisement
Geamma's celebrity pals including Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton and Paloma Faith showed the couple with congratulatory messages

Geamma’s celebrity pals including Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton and Paloma Faith showed the couple with congratulatory messages

Gemma announced she is expecting her second child in April

Gemma announced she is expecting her second child in April

Speaking about her changing body, she wrote in the caption: ‘Our bodies are outstanding ya know, I’m rollin’ in awe of mine and yours.’

She penned: ‘What an extraordinary time. Making, growing, connecting.’

Advertisement

Gemma met partner Cameron in Malawi, where Cameron, who owns an independent coffee project, sources his beans from smallholder farmers.

Gemma kickstarted her career on Kiss FM and Channel 4 Radio before moving over to the BBC, going on to join Radio 1Xtra in 2008.

The broadcaster has also hosted Glastonbury over the years and even had her own weekday afternoon show back in 2011. 

The Birmingham-born presenter, who is now based in Scotland, has also hosted radio documentaries and also launched a successful production company 

Advertisement

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

The new Canada-US bridge over the Detroit River is set to open

Published

on

The new Canada-US bridge over the Detroit River is set to open

DETROIT (AP) — Traffic is set to start flowing Monday across a new bridge over the Detroit River that will serve as a critical route for trade, jobs and tourism between Canada and the U.S.

Last week, Canada celebrated the Gordie Howe International Bridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Windsor, Ontario, to mark the completion of the multibillion-dollar, multiyear project.

U.S. and Michigan representatives were uninvited from Friday’s gathering after President Donald Trump suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering America.

The bridge is named for Howe, a Canadian icon known as “Mr. Hockey” who wore No. 9 while playing on the other side of the Detroit River for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He died in 2016.

Advertisement

More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., making America its largest trade partner, and Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck traffic on the U.S.-Canada border, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

For nearly a century, the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge has been the only route for large commercial trucks moving between the U.S. and Canada at Detroit. Businesses say the new six-lane span will be faster and less expensive.

The span is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long and rises 151 feet (46 meters) above the river at its highest point. Pedestrians and bicyclists carrying proper identification will be able to cross it for free in a few weeks.

Construction on the new bridge began in 2018 but took years, partly because of a global slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advertisement

Canada paid to build the bridge at an estimated cost of $6.4 billion. A recent agreement says Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years.

Trump praised his administration for that deal in a social media post while the Ontario event was in progress. “We changed the terms,” he said.

Michigan will also get a share, but not until Canada’s costs are recovered, likely decades from now.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Ant McPartlin shows off incredibly buff tattooed body after naked encounter

Published

on

Daily Mirror

Ant McPartlin washed all the awkwardness of his massage encounter away as he was spotted enjoying a dip in the sea during a beach day in Portugal

Ant McPartlin is clearly making the most of his trip to Portugal as he unveiled his honed new physique while enjoying a dip in the sea.

The 50-year-old jetted on a much-needed holiday with wife Anne-Marie Corbett and pals before preparations get underway for the upcoming series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here in Australia.

In new pictures, he was seen showing off his collection of tattoos while having a swim – opting for a pair of striped blue trunks and chunky black sunglasses.

Advertisement

One snap showed the dad-of-one laughing as he stood in the water, while another saw him vaping and chatting to a friend, before leaving the beach with a trolley.

Despite taking some time off, it wasn’t a complete holiday for the ITV host as he found time to record his Belta Box podcast with best pal Declan Donnelly – where he confessed to having a very embarrassing situation during the trip.

Advertisement

Speaking to his co-host in the latest episode, which was filmed remotely while they were both away, Ant revealed that his masseuse walked in on him completely naked before a relaxing message, making things extremely awkward.

Unpacking the scene, he explained that he went to a “really good” Thai massage parlour with his wife, following a recommendation – but they were given a warning over stripping off.

“A friend of ours said, ‘Be careful, when you go there, they come in really quickly’,” he recalled. “So I go in and I’m getting changed. The middle door slides open. My wife’s in this one, I’m in this one. She quickly whips the dress off, pops the paper knickers on, jumps on the bed.

“I take my clothes off, I struggle to kind of get all the buttons done on my shirt.”

Attempting to speed things up, he pulled his shirt over his head instead of unbuttoning it, and then removed his pants.

“So I’m leaning over the bed to get the paper knickers and inadvertently flick the paper knickers off the bed to the other side of the bed. And I’m naked and everything’s hanging out,” he continued, recalling his struggle with the disposable underwear.

Advertisement

“They land on the ground. I’m standing like this to put my leg in, my leg’s up. As I’m doing that, the door opens and [the masseuse] comes in. She can see everything and we just stare at each other for a bit too long. I went ‘not yet!’”

While he did eventually return to the parlour, he confessed that the pair “couldn’t look each other in the eye” after the excruciating moment…

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Two people die after being pulled from sea at famous beach

Published

on

Wales Online

The families of the two people have been informed and a report is being prepared for the coroner

Two people have died after being pulled from the sea at a beach in Cornwall after a late night emergency on Sunday. A man and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene on Fistral Beach at around 9.45pm on Sunday, July 26.

Advertisement

Emergency services including the ambulance service and police were called to the scene after the coastguard recovered the two bodies from the sea after being called around 9.30pm. The families of the two people have been informed and a report is being prepared for the coroner.

For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and an HM Coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.

Advertisement

“Emergency services attended and a cordon was put in place, which has since been removed.

“Sadly, a man and a woman were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.”

A spokesperson for the coastguard said: “HM Coastguard has been responding to an incident in the South Fistral area, Newquay, overnight.

“First informed at around 9.30pm (26 July), Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and an HM Coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene, alongside other emergency services.”

Advertisement

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

I add two ingredients to my avocado every day and it tastes like a restaurant-quality dish

Published

on

Wales Online

Avocados are versatile and contain healthy fats, but they can taste pretty bland on their own. Luckily, adding a few simple ingredients can instantly elevate it to something that tastes restaurant-quality

Lunch is my least favourite meal of the day. Deciding what to have for dinner each evening is challenging enough, so when I’m working from home, preparing something fancy is the last thing on my mind.

Advertisement

To avoid this dilemma, I’ve simply started eating the same thing every day. Avocados are one of my favourite foods — they’re nutritious, satisfying and adaptable, lending themselves to countless different dishes.

But it’s no secret that on their own, they can taste quite bland and uninspiring.

I’ve kept up this avocado habit for several months now, and amazingly, I’ve still not gotten bored. A straightforward avocado smash on toast is just unbeatable, and I think I’ve uncovered the secret to making it taste like something you’d order at a fashionable brunch spot.

It’s not that avocados taste bad — they simply lack that flavour punch so essential when you’re flagging at lunchtime and need a pick-me-up.

After experimenting with various additions, I’ve found two storecupboard essentials that genuinely elevate the dish to another level.

How to make avocado toast taste better

Crispy chilli oil and honey may seem an unusual pairing, but take my word for it — you’ll never eat avocados the same way again.

The combination of the fiery, crunchy topping with the sweet drizzle of honey is so addictive, instantly transforming your ordinary avocado smash.

Advertisement

When it comes to chilli crisp, the Lao Gan Ma brand is second to none, and is readily available at most Asian supermarkets or the world foods aisle of your local store.

A single jar goes a surprisingly long way, lasting a couple of months, as only a small amount is needed to deliver that wonderfully rich flavour.

Because there’s so much flavour in the chilli oil and the honey, I don’t bother seasoning the smashed avocado with anything. It’s just a case of mashing it up with a fork, spreading on toast, then adding the chilli oil and a drizzle of honey before digging in.

Advertisement

Lao Gan Ma also be found at Sainsbury’s for £2.75, while a pack of three from Amazon will set you back £7.99. One word of caution before purchasing — once you begin adding it to your meals, it’s hard to stop.

This pairing works equally well with eggs, which, as it happens, make for another great accompaniment to avocado.

No doubt the day will eventually come when the appeal wears off and I need a new lunchtime recipe to try. For now, though, this daily staple shows no signs of losing its charm – and it’s been nearly a year – and any avocado fans out there have to give it a go.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Two people die after large emergency response on Newquay beach

Published

on

A woman with short brown hair looks directly into the camera with a slight smiling expression. She is wearing a pink top and a silver necklace with a heart charm.

A man and a woman have died after getting into trouble in the sea off a popular beach.

The two people were pulled from the water off Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, at about 21:45 BST on Sunday, about 15 minutes after HM Coastguard said rescue personnel were called.

Devon and Cornwall Police said both were confirmed dead at the scene.

Search and rescue teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes took part in the operation, along with lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and a coastguard helicopter.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Call for review into Chinook crash involving Major Hornby from Bolton

Published

on

Call for review into Chinook crash involving Major Hornby from Bolton

A Bolton army major was killed in the Chinook incident.

Major Anthony Robert Hornby, aged 38, was killed, along with 28 other people, when the Chinook in which he was a passenger crashed in thick fog on the Mull of Kintyre in June 1994.

Major Hornby, from Over Hulton, served with the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment and was based in Portadown.

Handout photo issued by Chinook Justice Campaign of Jennifer Balmer-Hornby (right), whose father Major Anthony Robert Hornby MBE, died in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash. Twenty-five intelligence experts and four special forces crew were killed when their helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, en route from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness, on June 2 1994. Issue date: Saturday May 30, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Chinook Justice Campaign/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. (Image: Chinook Justice Campaign)

Jenni Balmer-Hornby, his daughter said last month: “For 32 years, families have fought for the truth about why our loved ones were allowed to board an aircraft that was not fit to fly.

Advertisement

“This has never been about revisiting the technical cause of the crash. It is about accountability, airworthiness and the decisions that put our loved ones on a positively dangerous helicopter that even the MoD’s elite test pilots and engineers were not allowed to fly.”

A High Court judge ruled this month that the families of several victims of the crash could not bring a legal claim against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over the incident.

Twenty-nine serving military personnel died when the Chinook HC-2 helicopter crashed into the Mull of Kintyre in south-west Scotland on June 2, 1994, during a flight from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland.

While the 2011 Mull of Kintyre inquiry overturned an initial decision to blame the pilots, it did not determine the cause of the crash.

Advertisement

The Chinook Justice Campaign (CJC), which is made up of more than 55 family members of 25 of the victims, sought to challenge the MoD’s “ongoing failure” to set up an “independent and effective investigation” into the crash.

However, a High Court judge’s ruling threw out the case as the claim had been brought too late.

The CJC legal team has said it will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights, but Matt Tobias, son of Lieutenant Colonel John Tobias who was killed in the crash, said the families “do not want years of further litigation”.

CRASH SCENE: The remains of the Chinook helicopter which crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994

Mr Tobias said the Prime Minister “has the power to prevent that” by ordering a fresh independent review.

Advertisement

He said: “We would urge Mr Burnham to meet us within his first 100 days in office so we can present the evidence that has emerged over recent years and explain why we believe a fresh review, independent of the Ministry of Defence, is now essential.

“Mr Burnham’s speech in the House of Commons, in which he spoke about ending Britain’s cover-up culture and strengthening the duty of candour, gave our families real hope.

“We ask that he and his ministers give the Chinook families more respect than we received from his predecessor, who denied us a meeting and an inquiry – believing MoD lies instead.

“After 32 years, we are not asking for special treatment.

Advertisement

“We are simply asking for the truth.”

The CJC group has said it wants Mr Burnham to establish a fresh review, independent of the Ministry of Defence, with full access to all relevant documents relating to the airworthiness of the Chinook Mk2 helicopter and the circumstances leading up to the crash.

In the letter delivered to Mr Burnham, the Chinook families said: “Throughout your career you have argued that the State should never use its power to frustrate families seeking the truth.

“We respectfully suggest that the Chinook case now presents the first opportunity for your Government to demonstrate those principles in practice and should be the test case for Hillsborough Law.”

Advertisement

Hillsborough Law was unanimously backed by MPs in the House of Commons this month.

It would create a legally enforceable duty of candour which compels public officials and authorities to act transparently when investigations and inquiries take place.

The families have requested that victims minister Alex Davies-Jones, re-appointed last week, take up their case as one of the test cases for Hillsborough Law.

Their appeal is backed by former Conservative defence secretary, Sir Liam Fox, who has also written personally to Mr Burnham urging him to resolve the case.

Advertisement

The Chinook Justice Campaign has also written to new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting urging him to “begin correcting the mistakes of your predecessors.”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Two people dead after being pulled from sea at Newquay beach

Published

on

Daily Record

A man and a woman have died after being pulled from the water at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall. Emergency services including police, the RNLI, ambulance and coastguard attended the scene on Sunday evening.

A man and woman have tragically lost their lives following an incident at a beach in England. Emergency services rushed to Fistral Beach in Newquay at approximately 9.30pm last night (July 26).

Advertisement

Police, ambulance crews, and coastguard teams all responded to the scene. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has confirmed that two lifeboats were dispatched to the incident.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing as many as nine emergency vehicles present at the location, while a rescue helicopter was observed circling overhead for an extended period, reports Cornwall Live.

In a statement issued on Monday, July 27, police confirmed that both individuals were declared dead at the scene after being recovered from the water, according to Cornwall Live.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson stated: “Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.

Advertisement

“Emergency services attended and a cordon was put in place, which has since been removed.Sadly, a man and a woman were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.A file will be prepared for HM Coroner.”

A spokesperson for the coastguard added: “HM Coastguard has been responding to an incident in the South Fistral area, Newquay, overnight. First informed at around 9.30pm (26 July), Coastguard Rescue Teams from Newquay, Padstow and St Agnes, lifeboats from Newquay RNLI and an HM Coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene, alongside other emergency services.”

Ensure our latest stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Why We Shouldn’t Befriend Foxes, And How To Help Instead

Published

on

Why We Shouldn't Befriend Foxes, And How To Help Instead

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about why you should probably be on your best behaviour around crows – they remember faces really well, and can even tell their friends and family about humans they don’t like.

Being kind and even befriending them (while maintaining a safe distance) could get you some serious corvid kudos.

But what about foxes, creatures some think might be becoming increasingly domesticated?

You’ve probably seen viral videos of people treating the wild animals as pets, hand-feeding them and even bringing them into their home.

Advertisement

We asked James Benwell, a Senior Marketing and Communications Officer at the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, for his thoughts.

Treating foxes as pets could seriously endanger them

James stressed that it’s important to “ leave out food and water for wildlife in a responsible manner”. Fox populations dropped 46% between 1995 and 2021, and providing them the sustenance they need to get through, e.g., heatwaves and winter could make a difference.

But “we absolutely do discourage people from hand-feeding, overfeeding or befriending foxes,” he added.

Advertisement

“Foxes are equally cursed and blessed in being such beautiful, striking animals, and it is no wonder that people are so captivated by them and want to interact with them,” he explained.

“However, in every interaction with wild animals, we have to keep their best interests at heart rather than our own. Foxes need to retain their wildness in order to survive. Hand-feeding or overfeeding them can lead to a reliance and overconfidence in humans which could spell their downfall.”

It’s not just that the animals need to remember how to forage and hunt on their own – though that’s part of it.

The expert said we also need to remember that not everyone sees foxes in the same way.

Advertisement

“Foxes have suffered centuries of persecution and vilification at the hands of man,” he reminded us.

And because some people might seek to get a seemingly “aggressive” fox culled, “every interaction which causes them to lose their natural wariness of humans could lead them to having a negative interaction with a person, and ultimately could cost them their lives.”

How can I look after foxes safely?

That’s not to say we shouldn’t have any interaction with the “striking” animals – far from it, James said.

Advertisement

Particularly in urban environments, where wildlife can be hard to find, having a backyard visitor is “one of the most spellbinding interactions with wildlife you could hope to have, and something which can lead to a lifelong love of nature”.

So, he advised, garden with the creatures in mind.

“Leave out food that can supplement a fox’s natural diet, create areas of shelter, and especially in these hot, dry conditions that we are currently experiencing, leave out plenty of water.”

Some great options include cooked or raw meat, tinned dog or cat food (not bones, though), peanuts, fruit (except grapes and raisins) and even cheese, per Woodland Trust.

Advertisement

“Whether it be a fox, a hedgehog, a badger or any other fabulous creature which visits your garden, savour every moment of their time with you, but let them live wild and free. They will repay you more than you could ever imagine!”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025