Conservation & Ecology
Frequently asked questions How many foxes are there in Britain?
At the end of winter, when numbers are lowest, there are 258,000 adult foxes in Britain, of which 225,000 live in rural areas and 33,000 in urban areas. Around 425,000 cubs are born each spring. Their relatively short lifespan self regulates the population nationally.
How big are foxes?
Surprisingly small; the average weight of a dog fox is 6.8kg (15lbs), for a vixen 5.7kg (12.5lbs). Whilst heavier foxes (up to 10kg or 22lbs) occur occasionally, they are not much taller or longer than average, and the extra weight is largely due to accumulated fat. To put this into perspective, foxes are a little heavier than the average pet cat, but less than half the weight, and about three-quarters the height of a whippet.
So foxes are small animals, although their long fur coat makes them look bigger than they really are. A common statement is that “I have just seen a fox as big as an Alsatian”. German shepherds (Alsatians) are twice as tall as a fox and weigh roughly six times as much. No one has ever seen a fox anywhere near the size of an Alsatian.
Do foxes hunt in packs?
No: this is a myth. Foxes hunt alone, and it is uncommon to see two or more adult foxes together away from their earth (den). They occasionally meet other members of the social group during the night, but these social contacts generally last no more than a minute or two. During the summer, larger cubs may follow the vixen when she is out hunting, but normally she catches the prey and then passes it to the cubs, who appear to learn by watching the vixen rather than by participating in the hunt.
Do foxes kill and eat their young?
It is not that common, but it does happen. If more than one vixen in a group breeds, the litter of the subordinate vixen is sometimes (but not invariably) killed, either by her or the dominant vixen. The cubs are then often eaten. Very rarely, a vixen may kill the cubs of a vixen living on an adjacent territory and bring them back for her own cubs to eat.
Do cubs kill and eat each other?
For the first few weeks of life, cubs fight to establish dominance and the weaker cubs may be killed: around 20% of cubs die in the first four weeks of life, probably as a result of these fights. Older cubs are sometimes also killed. Any dead cub, however it dies, is likely to be eaten by its littermates; there is no point in wasting a valuable source of food!
Do foxes have any natural predators?
Yes. Cubs are killed by golden eagles and badgers. However, the numbers killed are generally low and do not have an impact on numbers.
116 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 Rural foxes can have territories ranging
between 200-500 hectares, whilst urban foxes will stay closer to home near their food source. There will be at least two earths on a territory, one for rearing the cubs and the other for general daytime resting. In urban areas, foxes will happily use a dry drain, ditch or similar to wile away the day. The lifespan of a fox is between two to six
years in the wild, but they may live longer when food is readily available. A ten year old fox is rare and, by then, they will usually be arthritic and have lost most of their teeth. However, in captivity, foxes may live to fourteen. It is estimated that around 100,000 foxes
are killed each year on our roads. Coupled with their relatively short lifespan (averaging three years) and the 50% mortality rate amongst cubs, numbers remain self regulated at a quarter of a million adults. From those statistics, it is clear that the fox
hunting fraternity’s claims that their ‘sport’ helps to control numbers is unlikely. The Hunting Act makes hunting with dogs
illegal. Whilst public support for the prohibition of hunting has always been high, it has increased substantially in the past ten years. The latest poll from Ipsos MORI, conducted in 2014, showed that 80% of people thought fox hunting should remain illegal. Additionally, 86% thought stag hunting should also remain illegal and 88% that hare hunting and coursing should remain illegal. Whilst I have some sympathy for the
passing of a traditional and ancient pastime, we are not talking clog dancing or village cricket here. Even given their capacity to self regulate their numbers, some folk see the need to control the population further. This may be understandable to an extent in urban situations because of their nuisance value, but it should be remembered that it is usually the tardiness of humans that has attracted them in the first place. Additionally, there are concerns
surrounding disease, attacks on children and
even the possibility that domestic dogs and foxes will mate with each other. So let’s look at these in order. Disease: There is no known case of humans catching diseases from foxes or their droppings in Britain; you are vastly more likely to catch an infection from your pet cat or dog. Children: Occasionally, the press reports
attacks on children that are said to be by foxes but, when investigated further, the bite wounds do not appear to be typical fox bites. It is not impossible that a child could be bitten by a fox but, if it occurs, it is extremely rare. In comparison, the risk of injury from domestic dogs and cats is very much higher. Mating with domestic dogs: Foxes and
dogs are different species and cannot hybridise. Even if a dog and fox were to mate, there could be no offspring as their chromosome numbers are different. So there is no chance of a litter of bushy tailed reynardoodles or foxatians! Moreover, the breeding season of the fox
is very short - a few weeks in winter - and, outside this short period, female foxes are not fertile. If you believe that control is the way
forward, then cage trapping of urban foxes can be very easy. Baiting a trap with a cooked chicken, pork pie, dead rabbit, or almost anything else that is meat based, will attract a foraging urban fox. Rural foxes are a different story. These animals have usually survived on their wits, finding food when, and wherever, they can. They certainly cannot rely on human handouts or wheelie bins for dinner! In the countryside, snares or shooting at
night with a rifle and a high powered light (lamping) is the most productive methods. Both methods need to be undertaken by someone with experience that has been suitably trained. Foxes can easily be called into range of a rifle or shotgun if they have not been ‘lamped’ before, but you get just one chance at culling the targeted animal - they won’t fall for it twice!
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