Red foxes have successfully colonised urban environments across the UK and other countries, creating both public fascination and conflict, with significant welfare implications for management approaches.
Urban foxes face specific welfare challenges including road traffic mortality (the leading cause of urban fox death), mange, and human conflict. Mange causes severe suffering and is treatable with homeopathic-bait delivery of antifungal medication in some schemes. Culling causes direct suffering and is ecologically counterproductive. Trap-and-cull approaches used by pest controllers inflict pain and stress without reducing populations. Coexistence and deterrence approaches are more humane and more effective.