Londoners share the streets with British wildlife
By Cynara Vetch
Londoners share their streets, parks and gardens with around 10,000 foxes.
A recent report by researchers at Bournemonth and Reading University found that there are around 18 foxes per square kilometer in London.
One of the UK's last predators, foxes share a complicated relationship with their human neighbours. Some London residents admire and even feed the foxes in their local areas but others use the services of pest controllers. Every year after Christmas 100s of foxes are culled because they are seen scavenging off the extra rubbish that Londoners have produced during the festive season.
Lucy Jones wrote a book about foxes in the UK and in Time Out magazine article explained that the breed is just as likely to hunt pigeons or rats and even dig up earth worms. In advice on its website the borough of Kensington and Chelsea advises residents against providing food and shelter for foxes but also suggests they can provide a useful role in reducing the numbers of pests such as rodents.
Dawn Scott is a mammalian biologist who worked on the urban fox research report. Writing on the accessible academic website The Conversation Dawn explained that one of the reasons foxes thrive in cities is their agility. Their ability to jump and climb means they can access areas of the city other native wild animals are restricted from.
Once thought to be an elusive rural animal there are now 150,000 foxes across the UK's cities, more than there are in the countryside. However it is not an easy life for the animals, foxes can have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years but in urban areas few make it past 4 years old. Over 50% of the fox population is killed on the roads.
