Frequently Asked Questions: Overview
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In this section you will find a selection of the most common queries about foxes. Although some of the answers have a British perspective, most of them apply to fox populations in any country.
If there are other questions you would like to see answered, please contact the webmaster on the link below.
Select a question from the list below or click on the left-hand side menu to go to a specific section.
Question & Answer
TopGeneral questions on fox ecology and behaviour:
- How big are foxes?
- How long do foxes live?
- Do foxes hunt in packs?
- Do foxes kill and eat their young?
- Do cubs kill and eat each other?
- Do foxes have any natural predators?
TopGeneral questions about foxes in Britain's urban areas:
- Are urban fox numbers increasing?
- Are urban foxes a different species?
- Are there more foxes in urban areas than in the countryside?
- Foxes do not belong in cities: can they be returned to the countryside where they belong?
- Why did foxes colonise British cities?
- Did foxes move into British cities because they were starving?
- Are urban foxes starving?
- Are urban foxes hungrier following the introduction of wheelie bins or the new rubbish collection system?
- How many foxes are killed by cars in Britain each year?
- Should I feed the foxes in my garden?
- Why do foxes provoke such polarized opinions?
TopProblems with foxes in urban areas:
- Are foxes likely to attack or kill children?
- Will the foxes in my garden attack my dog or cat?
- Can my dog catch mange from foxes?
- What can I do to deter foxes from entering or digging in my garden?
- How do I prevent foxes from chewing toys, shoes, garden hoses and vehicle cables?
- Can I get someone to trap and remove the foxes in my garden?
- How do I stop the foxes digging in my lawn?
- Will the foxes eat my pet rabbit/guinea pig?
- Will the foxes eat my tortoise?
- What is the best way to protect chickens from foxes?
- Why do foxes kill for pleasure?
- I have heard a screaming noise at night and been told that this is cats being attacked by foxes: is this right?
- My neighbours are using broken glass and metal spikes to deter the foxes from entering their garden: is this legal?
- There is an occupied fox earth on a building site near me: what should I do about it?
- Why do foxes provoke such polarized opinions?
TopDisease and health risks posed by British foxes:
- Are foxes likely to attack or kill children?
- Can my dog catch mange from foxes?
- Do the foxes in my garden or their droppings pose a health risk?
- Will the foxes in my garden attack my dog or cat?
- Do British foxes have rabies?
- Is there a risk of rabies getting into the British fox population?
TopFeeding foxes:
- Are urban foxes starving?
- Are urban foxes hungrier following the introduction of wheelie bins or the new rubbish collection system?
- Should I feed the foxes in my garden?
TopUrban and rural foxes:
- Are there more foxes in urban areas than in the countryside?
- Are urban foxes less healthy than rural foxes?
- Are urban foxes different to rural foxes?
- Are urban foxes being dumped in the countryside?
- Is it true that you can always recognise an urban fox that has been dumped in the countryside because it is tame and approaches people, and/or is mangy, and/or is hungry because it does not know how to hunt properly in the country, and/or has much shorter claws from running around on pavements?
TopProblems with foxes in rural areas:
- Why do foxes kill for pleasure?
- What is the best way to protect lambs from foxes?
- What is the best way to protect chickens from foxes?
- Are urban foxes being dumped in the countryside?
- Are foxes causing more livestock losses following the hunting ban?
- Does the Hunting Act 2004 stop me killing foxes?
- Is it still legal to dig out foxes with terriers?
- Do foxes have any natural predators?
- Is there a close season for foxes in Britain?
TopThe number of foxes in Britain:
- How many foxes are there in Britain?
- Are foxes evenly spread across Britain?
- Are foxes native to Britain?
TopFoxhunting:
- How long have people been hunting foxes in Britain?
- How, where and when did foxhunting begin?
- What was the aim of the Hunting Act 2004?
- Has the hunting ban had an impact on fox numbers?
- Are foxes causing more livestock losses following the hunting ban?
- Does the Hunting Act 2004 stop me killing foxes?
- Has the hunting ban led to an increase in cruelty to foxes?
- Is it still legal to dig out foxes with terriers?
- Is it still legal for foxhunts to block badger setts?
- Do foxes have any natural predators?
- Did wolves regulate the number of foxes in Britain?
- Surely foxhunting simply replaces natural predation by wolves?
- Is there a close season for foxes in Britain?
- Why do people hang dead foxes on fences?
- Does foxhunting continue outside Britain?
TopQuestions about injured/sick/orphaned/dead foxes:
- I have a sick fox in my garden: what should I do?
- I have found an orphaned fox cub: what should I do?
- How can I treat a fox with mange?
- Can I rear an orphaned fox and return it to the wild?
- Can I keep a pet fox?
- I have found a dead fox in my garden: what should I do about it?
- I have found a dead fox and suspect that it has been poisoned: who should I inform?
- My neighbours are using broken glass and metal spikes to deter the foxes from entering their garden: is this legal?
