There are not just wolves at the door of 10 Downing Street these days.
Larry the cat, who serves as chief mouser to the Cabinet Office, has been captured on camera chasing a fox from outside the prime minister’s residence.
In footage sure to appear in the next BBC natural history series, Larry is seen stalking the emaciated fox as it prowls up the famous street.
You can almost hear David Attenborough’s intimate tones as the fox raises its hackles and submissively retreats from Larry’s confident approach.
Larry has been in residence at Downing Street since 15 February 2011 and was the first cat at No 10 to be bestowed with the official title chief mouser.
He was recruited from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home on recommendation for his mousing skills, according to No 10.
“Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality,” the Downing Street website says. “His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house.”
Larry was frequently seen sparring with Palmerston, his Foreign Office counterpart, around the time of the Brexit referendum in 2016, perhaps another potential casualty of one of the most divisive acts in British political history.
