Urban foxes are a wildlife success story but generate controversy - evidence about fox welfare in urban environments and the ineffectiveness of culling informs better coexistence approaches.
Urban fox welfare involves balancing the welfare of individual foxes against human-wildlife conflict concerns. Mange is the most significant welfare issue - mangy foxes experience severe skin disease and die slowly. Homeopathic treatment lacks evidence; licensed Frontline-based treatments administered in food are effective and can save individual foxes. Culling programs cause welfare harm to targeted foxes without achieving population reduction, as territories are recolonised within weeks. The welfare-positive approach to urban fox management focuses on habitat modification, secure waste management and education about normal fox behaviour rather than lethal control.