Last week, a video of Larry the cat chasing a fox from outside the prime minister's residence went viral, reigniting debate about the presence of urban foxes in London. While many cheered the cat's victory, others argue the fox deserves its place in the city. According to Professor Dawn Scott of Nottingham Trent University, cats nearly always win such encounters.
Despite being villainised in children's fiction and often incorrectly labelled as vermin, urban foxes have become a highly visible presence in the capital. Boris Johnson once called them a menace, but the London Wildlife Trust estimates there are 10,000 foxes in London, a number that has been stable for decades. Terry Woods of Fox-a-Gon notes that fox populations self-regulate at about 10-13 per square kilometre.
Modern city life, with abundant discarded takeaway food, seems fox-friendly, but foxes face constant challenges. Traffic accounts for high mortality, and illegal poisonings occur despite legal protections. Foxes generally avoid dogs and are extremely unlikely to attack humans unless cornered. However, they can cause damage to gardens and property, leading to conflicts with residents.
