Urban Fox Welfare and Coexistence

Urban foxes are a wildlife success story in the UK, adapting to city life with remarkable resilience, but face welfare challenges and social conflict with humans.

Key Facts

Around 150,000 foxes live in UK urban areas, thriving on a mixed diet of human food waste and natural prey
Urban foxes are typically healthy but may suffer from mange (Sarcoptes scabiei), a painful and potentially fatal skin disease
Fox culling in urban areas is largely ineffective as territorial vacancies are rapidly filled by neighbouring foxes
Non-lethal management including habitat modification and secure bin storage is more effective and welfare-positive
Urban foxes cause genuine wildlife crime victimisation including lamping and snaring that is underreported

Welfare Considerations

Urban foxes demonstrate animals' remarkable capacity to adapt to human-dominated environments, but this proximity creates welfare challenges. Sarcoptic mange can spread rapidly through urban fox populations, causing severe suffering from intense pruritus, secondary infection and emaciation. Human-induced mortality through culling, road traffic and illegal snaring adds to the welfare burden. Management approaches that prioritise coexistence and non-lethal strategies are both more effective and more welfare-positive than culling.

What You Can Do

Feed foxes responsibly if you choose to do so - cooked meat, cheese and dog food rather than bread or processed food
Report suspected mange in urban foxes to the Fox Project or National Fox Welfare Society for treatment
Secure bins and compost to reduce the conflict caused by foxes accessing waste
Oppose urban fox culling programmes and advocate for non-lethal management approaches
Report illegal fox hunting, snaring or lamping to the RSPCA and police