Hungry Foxes Suspected of Chewing Up Research Equipment
A camera that has been used to observe the activities of seals on a small island off the western coast of Saaremaa is no longer working, probably because foxes chewed through its wiring.
"The camera worked great until something went wrong a couple of days ago and it is not possible to investigate the problems as the ice is thawing," seal researcher Ivar Jüssi told Meie Maa, adding that two foxes were caught on tape and later seen on the island.
"The foxes were probably on their way to the island and got stuck since the ice can no longer hold their weight," said Jüssi. "Since foxes are the kind of [creatures] that gnaw on anything that seems the least bit interesting, I suspect that they chewed through the cable of the seal camera."
Unfortunately, Jüssi said, the foxes will most likely be stranded on the island and die of starvation.
Ingrid Teesalu