"Gloria P" > wrote in message
...
> Janet Bostwick wrote:
> We have at least four red foxes in the neighborhood and a coyote but I've
> never heard that they have taken on the raccoons. There's an old quite
> scruffy one and three younger members of the family who occasionally come
> into our back yard and chase one another around and round the semi-circle
> of yews, like kittens. I used to put out food for them until I disovered
> half the neighborhood feeds them....
>
> Speaking of which, there have been at least four or five bear attacks
> in the foothills and one in Aspen the past week. In a couple of
> instances, they broke into houses. Also a woman was mauled and killed by
> a bear but she was one of those animal lovers who hand-fed them quite
> often. Guess they got tired of waiting one day.
>
> People are being warned not to leave any food out at all (even empty soda
> cans), no bird feeders, no overflowing dumpsters,and to take in BBQ
> grills into the garage if possible. The ranger said bears can smell food
> up to three miles away and they are currently gorging on food preparing
> for winter.
>
> Not nice to fool with Mother Nature....
>
> gloria p


I don't know that the fox and raccoon take each other on, just steer clear
of each other. I have actually not seen a raccoon this year, and that suits
me fine. Many years ago we were leaving Pagliacci's restaurant (still one
of my favorites) and there was a hugely fat raccoon leaving the dumpster
from the bar across the street. He went down the storm sewer, but could
hardly fit. He was raiding restaurant dumpster for left over food.

The bear incidents are rather common this year. The lady who was feeding
them made a huge mistake by starting that. The are huge wild animals.

Later,

Dale