How urban red foxes navigate city environments and what coexistence approaches best protect their welfare while minimizing human conflict.
Urban fox welfare sits at the intersection of wildlife management and human-wildlife coexistence. Foxes in urban environments face high road mortality, mange infestations, and intentional harm from people who view them as pests. Evidence consistently shows that culling fails to reduce fox populations due to rapid recolonization, while causing welfare harms. Humane coexistence approaches including securing food waste, deterrence of den sites under structures, and access to mange treatment represent better welfare and management outcomes.