Foxy urban dwellers on the rise
The number of foxes living in the city has quadrupled over the past 20 years.
A new study led by Brighton and Reading universities estimates that, while overall fox numbers are decreasing, 150,000 of the canids now live in urban areas.
Bournemouth was found to have the highest density of foxes, with 23 per square kilometre. London was second with 18 and Bristol followed closely behind with 16.
Vincent Vulpes is a red fox who has recently made the move from the Surrey countryside into the Big Smoke.
He said: “Life is just a lot harder in the countryside you know? At least I know I’m going to be able to find some food and somewhere warm to sleep here.
“A lot of my friends made the move to Bournemouth - they say you’ve got more chance of nabbing a garden for the night - but I like it here in London. The nightlife is unparalleled, around 5am the amount of abandoned kebabs and fried chicken makes for a great meal out.
“That said, I’m still a little shy - foxes have a bad reputation in the country so I’m still getting used to people who don’t want to hunt us.”
The news comes as no surprise to Nathan Williams, a mammologist and fox expert from the University of Bristol: “The city is a great habitat for foxes - there’s plentiful food and shelter, no farmers shooting them. But it’s important to remember that this isn’t a new phenomenom - we’re not being ‘invaded’ by them. They’ve lived in our cities since the 1930s.”
