Understanding fox welfare in cities and towns, the challenges urban foxes face, and evidence-based approaches to human-fox coexistence.
Urban foxes occupy a contested welfare space where public opinion ranges from affection to hostility. Individual foxes in cities face genuine welfare challenges — road traffic is the leading cause of mortality, mange causes prolonged suffering without treatment, and persecution through poisoning and snaring occurs in some areas. From a welfare perspective, the primary interventions are road awareness, mange treatment by willing observers, and elimination of lethal control methods that cause suffering without effectively managing populations. Coexistence is achievable with better public understanding of fox ecology and behaviour.