The maternity unit of Southmead Hospital in Bristol, U.K., is being criticized for contacting pest control to remove foxes near the facility, according to an article on the Daily Mail website.
The hospital said it was looking for help capturing and ridding the site of the foxes “to ensure the safety of mothers and newborn babies.”
The proposals, made in a Facebook post last week, were met with anger from nearby residents. One post said: “Foxes would not put your patients in any danger. They are beautiful creatures. To kill them is totally heartbreaking and very wrong.”
“We are particularly concerned that at this time of the year with many of the unit’s windows open, there is a potential risk of foxes entering the building," the hospital said in a statement. But the hospital later said it was “pausing all existing activity” while it looked at the recommendations of animal welfare organizations.
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