London Foxes secrets You need to know
Red foxes have been apex predators in Britain since wolves were hunted to extinction. This means they are at the top of the urban wildlife food chain. Nothing hunts them.
Loving them or loathe them, foxes are part of the urban landscape, but as much as you want to get rid of them, have you ever wondered how different London would be without them?
Red foxes have been top predators in Britain since wolves were hunted to extinction, according to the London Wildlife Trust. This means they are at the top of the urban wildlife food chain. In other terms, nothing hunts them.
Foxes usually eat the extra food lying about that would also support the mouse population.
There are two species of rat in the UK: the sleek black rat and the larger, more numerous brown rat, but neither is native. They arrived to the UK shores as stowaways from Asia, and have scattered across the country.
Foxes are one of the most recognisable wild animals in Britain. This wild animal is adaptable as they are at home in urban and residential locations as they are in the countryside.
There are various species that reside around the world. The most common is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), known to be the first and most renowned non-domestic carnivore in cities around the world.
Discover what makes urban spaces so desirable to the legendary red-furred fox.
What do urban foxes eat?
Foxes are members of the Canidae family-the same category as wolves and domestic dogs.
Foxes are known as carnivores (sitting in the order of Carnivora) but can eat almost anything.
The rural red fox diet includes about 95% meat and is complemented by insects, worms and fruit. In urban areas, meat is just about half of their diet, while the other half is household waste.
Red foxes tend to be at home in urban areas like they are in the countryside.
RedF oxes have developed strong digestive and immune systems, and they are unlikely to be harmed by decaying food waste. Urban foxes prefer to search for food, but when they prey, it's for birds or small rodents, including rats and mice, to help keep rodent populations under control.
The Fox Project, a UK-based charity committed to the conservation of red foxes, claims that during the 26 years of work and over 12,000 rescued foxes are yet 'to find a starving adult fox.'
Where do urban foxes live?
Foxes dig out dens to provide a safe underground area mostly used for raising fox cubs, also called kits. In urban regions, the rooms - known as piles of the earth -They are usually located underneath sheds, but they're also found around tree roots, in bushes, or on rail tracks.
Foxes can use these nests for shelter through the year, but you can also catch them lying in the sun during the warmer months.
Becoming City dwellers
Foxes have been recorded in the southern metropolitan areas of Britain since the 1930s. The outgrowth of these areas since the interwar era has created a perfect new habitat with abundance of food.
Numbers of foxes living in the United Kingdom isn't officially recorded. However, the 2013 study by the Department of Environment , Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) suggests there are about 430,000-about one fox for every 150 people in the UK.
The number in metropolitan areas is estimated to have risen from 33,000 in 1995 to 150,000 in 2017. However, there was a 42 per cent drop in red foxes in Britain in 2018, but the cause is unclear.
The Fox population is self-regulating, with attempted killings proving ineffective. The London boroughs were responsible for their local foxes in the 1970s. In Bromley, a fox-control officer hunted 300 foxes a year but didn't make a difference in the population. Urban fox control was dropped in the 1980s.
If you eliminate a fox from a location, that territory will be occupied by another within a matter of days. The removal of foxes only results in a greater breeding population next year.
Foxes are efficient in taking advantage of the new territory. In 2011, as the Shard was being built in London, a fox climbed to the seventy-second floor, and remained living there on leftover food left by workers.
Why do foxes scream?
Foxes are probably best known for their 'screams,' which are often heard at nighttime when these animals are most active.
Vixens produce high-pitched wails (female foxes), during the breeding season, which starts in January.
It's been proposed cries are pain sounds when foxes are locked together during sex, but this is an urban myth. The cries are the females that are attempting to attract a partner.
When do foxes have cubs?
Most foxes are born in litters of about five cubs in the month of March. The baby foxes stay with their mother for around two weeks, and during this time they are fed by other members of the social group.
The kits rise from the ground in April and reach their adult size at around seven months of age. At the age of one, some vixens will have their first litter.
City living is tough
Wild red foxes usually can live about nine years. T hough, on average, foxes only last between one and three years.
The most common cause of fox deaths in road accidents , especially for males and younger animals, as they begin exploring and separating from the breeding site from August to December. However, some cubs will stay with their family group for their whole life.
Do foxes carry diseases?
You may have noticed your local foxes looking a little rough around the edges. That could be seasonal moulting, or it may be something more troublesome for the fox.
Sarcoptic disease, also known as canine scabies, is caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes 'scabei canis'. It is highly infectious but treatable for foxes and dogs. Mites may be passed on to humans, but they cannot complete their life cycle on a non-canine host.
The mite traps the skin of the fox, causing lesions and the distinctive red hair to fall off. This leaves bald patches, while the new coat is noticeable below as the animal moults for the season.
Without medication, mange lesions can lead to secondary infections that can be fatal in severe cases.
In certain parts of the world, foxes carry rabies. Rabies virus has been eradicated in all species in the United Kingdom and much of Europe, except for certain populations of bats. According to Public Health England, the last non-bat event of rabies in the United Kingdom occurred in 1902.
Parasitic mites cause sarcoptic disease that burrow into a fox's skin.
Foxes may also carry toxoplasmosis, a widely spread parasitic infection. Although foxes can't pass this infection on to humans, we might become infected, mainly by exposure to infected cat faeces. While toxoplasmosis has little impact on humans, it can drastically alter the behaviour of foxes, including reducing the levels of fear and aggression that foxes rely on to live in the wild.
Encouraging foxes
Foxes can be fun to see in the garden, and many people love watching 'their' foxes, particularly as the cubs get more active.
Dawn Scott studied urban foxes and their interactions with human beings at the University of Brighton. She has seen fox feeding occur in many urban areas , providing several residents with respected experiences with wildlife.
Foxes could become very dependent on daily feeding, so it's best not to do so much or with large quantities of food that is potentially unsuitable. But throwing the odd fresh egg on a plate and watching it in the evening, or even putting a trail camera out to observe after dark, will give you stunning sightings.
Fox deterrent
Foxes are scavengers and are considered pests by others. As they provide food and shelter, our gardens are tempting to foxes. If you would like not to stick around for too long, the safest humane deterrents are the best choice.
It's best to keep food waste in safe bins. Scavenging foxes can easily rip their way into containers left out in the open, making a mess.
Foxes can pass through a 12-centimeter gap. Keep garages, ground-floor walls , doors and cat flaps shut at night to prevent them from entering your property.
Don't attempt to plug holes in garden fencing or walls, as these could be valuable natural corridors for other urban wildlife, including hedgehogs. Foxes are also expert climbers, but it would make little to no difference for a fox to enter a garden. Tiny pets, including rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens, could be an easy meal for a hungry fox. I f you leave your pets outdoors, they should be kept in enclosed pens and cages. Chicken wire isn't robust enough to hold a fox out of it.
To prevent foxes claiming your garden as their territory, there are non-toxic animal repellents you can use. Only those approved for use against foxes as other repellents can be damaging to other wildlife in the garden.
About the Creator
Anton Black
I write about politics, society and the city where I live: London in the UK.
Comments (1)
A fascinating and well-researched subject! Great job!