What's digging this fox sized hole in my garden?

I'm hoping it is 'just' a fox, otherwise it's a humongous rat

Bit difficult to get pics because it's behind the compost bin and a post in a corner. It comes under the fence from my neighbour's garden into mine - the top bit in the pic is the concrete baseboard.





It comes out at a slope to the right as you look at it, so it would appear that something large is digging its way through and veered off to the left to avoid the old hedgehog house which is now overhanging the hole.

Please tell me it's not something nasty!

 

I was thinking Bagder or Fox, but i think you may find it could be rats, in the first pic, to the left the soil looks smooth were they has been running and also there looks like rat poo, the black bit in the middle by the brown leaf but i could be wrong, Rats can dig big holes

 

I also think it could be rats, I would get in contact with the council

 

Looks like a Fox is looking for a home Merle....it's coming on for cub time

 

why don't you lay a piece of white cloth or paper in front the hole to see if you can capture any mucky footprints?

 

Good thinking Yvonne - I'll do that

 

have you any spare bricks or stones to block the hole ?off

 

Any neighbours lost their pet rabbit? How far is the soil being thrown back from the hole?

 

You could also use a tray with sharp sand instead of paper.

Rusty

 

If it's a fox/rabbit then I have no problem with it having access to my garden. If it is rats, then much as I hate to kill any living thing, they will have to go.

Would rats go near a garden which has cats and dogs in?

There is no soil my side so they must have burrowed through from my neighbour's side to mine.

 

yes they do , in a house past , I had five cocker spaniels and around all the borders a fancy wire netting , two foot from the fencing made a nest under the rhododendron with a piece of plastic bag on the top to keep them dry very clever really. Its only that I kept seeing the dogs go to the same spot all the time I had a look. I used a trap 7 in total in 8 days.
I would block off then see what happens.

 

The thing in the first pic is a slug I think (see below for close up).






Have laid a white tea towel across it so will see what tomorrow brings, but I did notice some scratch marks which were more consistent with a fox.

Hell who knows, maybe we have both.

 

I would love some Shiney, but I don't think they'd do well in my small urban garden.