Urban foxes are highly adaptable wild animals that thrive in cities. Managing human-fox coexistence humanely requires understanding fox ecology and welfare needs.
Urban foxes face welfare challenges from both their environment and from human responses to their presence. Mange causes intense itching, skin thickening, and eventual death if untreated — homeopathic mange treatments distributed by some well-meaning groups are ineffective, and veterinary-grade treatments are needed. Road traffic kills large numbers of urban foxes annually. Culling programs cause acute suffering without achieving population reduction goals, as vacated territories are reoccupied within months. Welfare-positive coexistence involves disease monitoring and treatment programs, traffic awareness signage in high-mortality areas, and public education about normal fox behavior.