Dismembered Squirrel - How did it happen?

[crunkhornr]

I have been having a problem with squirrels digging up my bulbs and had just gone outside to put chicken wire on the pots and sweep up when I noticed fur. Upon inspection it appears to be the tail of a grey squirrel. I have also found a foot but there is no sign of the body. (It's a terrace in North London so fairly contained and no sign of other body parts on neighbouring terraces)

I guess it could be a fox but there is no blood and I thought foxes are quite mean. What else could have done this?  Does anyone know which animals are strong enough to kill a squirrel and break it's leg and tail off?

 

[FP]

We used to have a lovely tabby tom cat who regularly caught and dismembered squirrels! 

[RATTER15]

I think it was most likely dismembered by a bird of prey.

[andy hughes]

As suggested, the squirrel may have been killed by a bird or animal, which was disturbed before it could finish eating the corpse. As for foxes being 'mean, this is an urban myth. The notion that foxes will decimate a henhouse 'for fun' is not true. A fox will kill all the chickens, and if not disturbed, he will take away the carcasses and bury them for later consumption. A fox that has killed and left hens, was disturbed before he could finish burying his store of food - foxes do not kill for 'fun', that's fox hunters!

[Ray the DJ]

Squirrels have lots of enemies: Cats, mink, stoats, weasels, foxes and even the odd large owl will take on a squirrel if it's hungry enough.

[New Forester]

It sounds like a cat to me.  Cats will eat most of a squirrel, but the tail is too fluffy (hens eat that too, if it's chopped up).

 

Our late cat when in his prime regularly caught grey squirrels -- he usally ate them himself, but sometimes he donated them to us.  If you get the chance, try squirrel -- very tasty indeed, like sweet and tender rabbit.

[New Forester]

Andy -- what's a bird then?  A plant...?