Urban Fox Welfare and Coexistence

Urban foxes are widespread across British cities and face welfare challenges from road traffic, mange disease, deliberate poisoning, and welfare-insensitive culling practices.

Key Facts

An estimated 150,000 urban foxes live in Britain, concentrated in suburban areas
Urban foxes have territories of around 50 hectares in cities, much smaller than rural foxes
Sarcoptic mange kills tens of thousands of urban foxes annually in the UK
Road traffic is the primary cause of death for urban foxes
Foxes have well-developed pain sensitivity and complex social family structures
Poison baiting of foxes in urban areas is illegal but occasionally reported

Welfare Considerations

Urban foxes face multiple welfare threats in the city environment. Mange, caused by microscopic mites, causes intense itching, hair loss, and secondary skin infection, leading to slow and suffering-filled death without treatment. Road traffic kills foxes swiftly but injures many more that then suffer from untreated wounds. Where urban foxes are deemed problematic and culled by pest controllers, inhumane methods such as snaring and shooting with inadequate aim cause welfare suffering. Coexistence strategies that avoid culling and provide mange treatment opportunities represent the most welfare-positive approach.

What You Can Do

Support the Fox Project which provides mange treatment advice and advocates for humane control
Contact vets or the Fox Project if you find a mange-affected fox
Drive carefully at dusk and dawn when foxes are most active on roads
Avoid the use of rodenticides in gardens which can poison foxes through secondary poisoning
Do not use spring traps or other inhumane control methods for foxes
Learn about fox behaviour to understand and appreciate their urban presence