Red Fox

Red foxes are the only wild member of the dog family in this country. They are seen across the country in the wild and on farmland, but many have found living amongst humans more convenient, taking advantage of easy pickings of scraps. Many people welcome foxes in their gardens and happily feed them every day!

They will eat almost anything. Their natural diet in the Countryside would be small mammals such as mice, injured birds, frogs, slugs, worms, berries and fruit. Town foxes will often be seen rummaging in bins, sniffing out any scraps of food that have been thrown out.

Nevertheless, life is tough for these guys: in a perfect setting, they can live for up to 9 years but in reality, their lifespan averages less than 2 years. Countryside foxes are still classed as vermin, hunted and shot; while the urban foxes biggest enemy is the car.

The male is called a dog fox, and the female a vixen. Breeding time is is December - March. During this time you might hear the familiar calls that often sound like seagulls screaming or a baby crying. They also bark to communicate with each other.

Being a versatile, adaptive animal they can make their dens anywhere amongst us: under sheds, decking or in any undisturbed part of our gardens where they can hide and keep their cubs safe. Countryside foxes will keep to tradition and dig themselves a hole in the ground, or use an old tree stump.

Depending on population sizes and food availability, our foxes' body weight varies a lot. Females are smaller and lighter and will be around 5 - 6 kg, while the males weigh from 6 - 7 kg upwards.

Foxes suffer from the usual outdoor afflictions such as fleas and ticks but their biggest issues is mange - an infestation of parasitic mites that causes itching, hair loss and infections. A healthy fox can usually ward off mange, but if s/he doesn't have access to regular food, the condition can take hold and ultimately kill the animal.

In its early stages, mange can be treated effectively with holistic remedies which are safe for other wildlife and pets. Just put a few drops in a jam or peanut butter sandwich and hopefully your foxy friend will return every night for more!

For further advice or help on getting the treatment please get in touch via the contact form!

The Fox Project ambulance service covers a circular area defined by Medway (Kent), Greenwich (South London), Croydon (Surrey) East Grinstead (West Sussex) and Mayfield (East Sussex). There is a lot of useful advice and information on their website, plus news & updates on Facebook.