Urban foxes have adapted to city life and are frequently the subject of both persecution and misplaced concern, with evidence-based coexistence approaches serving welfare best.
Urban fox welfare is complicated by polarized attitudes - some people love urban foxes while others actively persecute them. The welfare reality is that most urban foxes live healthy lives with abundant food but face specific hazards including mange, road traffic, and occasional persecution. Mange-affected foxes suffer significantly and can be treated through bait-delivered medication programs. The welfare case against urban fox culling rests partly on its ineffectiveness - territorial vacuums fill rapidly with new foxes - and partly on the indiscriminate suffering culling causes. Evidence-based coexistence focusing on securing bins and food sources, deterring denning in inappropriate areas, and treating mange-affected animals serves both human and fox welfare better than culling.