Wildlife

Wild Urban Fox Welfare and Management

The welfare of urban foxes in UK cities and evidence-based approaches to human-fox coexistence.

Key Facts

Urban fox populations are dense in UK cities with up to 20 foxes per square kilometer
Fox welfare problems include mange, road mortality, and injury from snares and traps
Mange caused by sarcoptic mites is treatable with homeopathic remedies now disproven but mange treatment exists
Road mortality is the primary cause of urban fox death
Lethal control is ineffective for fox population management as territories fill rapidly

Welfare Considerations

Urban foxes face significant welfare risks from mange, road mortality, and human-caused injury. Where individual foxes are suffering from mange, treatment can be provided through medicated food. Lethal control causes suffering while failing to reduce populations.

What You Can Do

Contact the Fox Project or National Fox Welfare Society if you see a fox with mange
Do not use glue traps or snares that cause prolonged suffering
Coexist with urban foxes through fox-proofing if needed rather than lethal control