Urban wildlife including foxes, hedgehogs, badgers, and birds can be supported through appropriate garden management — but some common feeding and management practices cause harm.
Supporting urban wildlife requires understanding both the benefits and risks of common interventions. Feeding foxes and hedgehogs provides nutritional benefit but can create dependency and increase road-crossing frequency. Feeding badgers near roads increases mortality risk. Poorly managed feeding stations spread disease and attract rodent populations that lead to more rodenticide use. Clean water is almost universally beneficial across species. The most welfare-positive approach to urban wildlife support combines habitat creation — log piles, native plants, ponds — with targeted supplementary feeding that minimises risks.