Urban foxes still dividing opinion in neighbourhoods
own territory.
Each year a large proportion of the population dies.
The greatest single cause is traffic accidents, accounting for over 60 per cent of deaths.
In the early 1990s there were an estimated 33,000 urban foxes in the UK.
Since then, in some areas it is believed that they may have increased, while in others mange epidemics have decreased numbers.
Recent data however, indicates that the national urban population of foxes has remained about the same.
Many people enjoy seeing foxes in their gardens. A magazine survey found foxes are the second most popular animal in Britain. However, some people are not keen on foxes and worry about their presence or find them a nuisance.
As a consequence, a number of questions are asked about encouraging foxes, the risks foxes pose or how they can be deterred from gardens.
If you regularly see foxes in your garden, they have probably already found a good food supply in the area and foxes are excellent scavengers.
If you decide to provide food for foxes it’s important to bear in mind that whilst you like to see foxes your neighbours may not share the same view and may see foxes as a problem, which could result in action taken against the animals.
As a result we would always recommend caution when feeding foxes. Don’t try to make them tame, never hand-feed them or put out too much food as foxes may not move far if all the food they need is available in one garden – they may bury some, defecate or cause other problems in neighbouring gardens leading to ill-feeling against the foxes.
With this in mind, and if you would prefer the fox visited next door instead:
Provide food for wild birds in feeders that are less likely to spill, preventing foxes from scavenging.
Protect fruit and vegetable crops – use fencing or solid weldmesh; avoid using netting and use at least a 4cm mesh to reduce the risk of wildlife getting tangled or caught in it. Clear away any windfall fruit.
Use securely sealed dustbins and composters.
Keep pets such as rabbits indoors overnight, or in secure enclosures.
These enclosures should have a roof and use weld-mesh instead of chicken wire for fencing.
The door should be secured with a good lock that cannot be worked loose.
Clear up any spilt pet food on the ground.
Cut or clear any areas of long grass or dense vegetation – dense cover can provide a safe, sheltered location for a fox to lie up undisturbed during the day. Keep garage, greenhouse and shed doors closed.
Prevent access to areas under sheds, as these provide an ideal location for digging an earth to raise cubs.