Urban foxes are a successful adaptation to human environments but face conflict with residents, road deaths, and disease. Coexistence approaches benefit both foxes and communities.
Urban foxes face significant welfare challenges. Road deaths cause acute trauma. Sarcoptic mange is a serious welfare emergency - infected foxes experience intense itching, hair loss, secondary infection, and eventual collapse without treatment. Foxes caught in snares face prolonged suffering. Poisoning causes a painful, protracted death and affects non-target animals. Well-intentioned over-feeding can cause nutritional problems. Trap-neuter-release is not generally effective for foxes but treatment of mange is highly impactful.