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About Jonathan Wright
Expertise
I can answer questions about wild mammals, as well as other wild animals. I can also answer questions on extinct animals and zoos. PLEASE DON'T SEND ME ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PETS. IF YOU ARE REALLY WORRIED, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A VETERINARIAN. PLEASE DO NOT ASSUME THAT UNPAID PEOPLE ON ALLEXPERTS ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY AND WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH ADVICE THE MOMENT YOUR ANIMAL GETS ILL. Find out how to look after a pet before you get it. It is unfair to keep an animal in inappropriate conditions and give it the wrong food. If you can't keep an animal in good conditions, please don't bring it into your home. I'm not a vet and I don't have any expertise in animal medicine and care. I don't agree with people taking animals out of the wild and then expecting other people to give free advice on how to look after them. It is cruel to take animals away from their parents, who are able to look after the babies and may look for them, while putting their other babies at risk. You may need a licence to look after some animals. You may be breaking the law by keeping wild animals; please check with a local wildlife organisation. IF YOU FIND AN INJURED ANIMAL, PLEASE CONTACT A WILDLIFE VETERINARIAN OR CHARITY AND LET TRAINED STAFF LOOK AFTER THE ANIMAL. DO NOT TRY TO LOOK AFTER AN INJURED ANIMAL IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Please do not remove eggs from nests. The mother birds will know the right temperature for the eggs and will not sit on them if the temperature is warm enough for them to develop naturally. It is illegal to remove eggs of some species and, unless you have an incubator or a broody hen, the egg may not develop. If you are allowed to touch the eggs, you can candle them (check details on websites) to see if the eggs are fertile. If the eggs are not fertile, they will not hatch. I do not agree with fights between different animals. Please do not ask me questions about them.

Experience
I have a zoology degree and have been interested in animals since I was two years old. I am a zoo volunteer at London Zoo. I have appeared on a BBC Radio Quiz, 'Wildbrain'.

Organizations
World Wide Fund for Nature. Zoological Society of London. London Bat Group.

Publications
Newsletters of London Zoo volunteers and the London Bat Group

Education/Credentials
BSC degree in Zoology. 'A' levels in Zoology and Chemistry. 'O' Level in Biology.

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Veterinary Medicine > Wild Animals > buried eggs

Wild Animals - buried eggs

Expert: Jonathan Wright - 11/8/2009

Question
I recently found two or more what appears to be duck eggs buried in my garden. The nearest farm is approx half a mile away. Would a fox carry them and bury them that far away from the nesting site? If not what could be the culprit?.

Answer
Dear Alan

Thank you for your question. I also wish to thank the authors of the websites I used.

Ian Hayward (http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/expert/previous/buryeggs.asp) says that no British birds bury their eggs, but he says that foxes often bury eggs for later use. As far as I know, the only birds that do bury their eggs are mound-builders or brush turkeys, which live in Southeast Asia and Australia.

http://www.blurtit.com/q376011.html includes information from people who have observed the same phenomenon. Ahef01 says that foxes bury eggs of all kinds in gardens. They gently pick an egg up in their mouth, carry it to a safe place, dig a hole and come back later to eat it. Other people have reported similar sightings.

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/predator/implicat.htm says that red foxes are the major predator of duck eggs in the Prairie Pothole Region, but also lists other species.

I think that a red fox probably buried the eggs in your garden. In the last few years, foxes seem to be getting a lot braver and are more often seen during the day. I saw one in south London by day a few months ago. I've also seen one in Central London.

All the best

Jonathan

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