In the town of Paddock Wood, England, a wounded fox finds itself cornered in a cage, snarling at a woman who aims to assist it. Unfazed by the fox’s defensive posture, Nicki Townsend approaches with a sense of calm. Equipped with only rubber gloves and a casual outfit, she gently whispers soothing words. “All right, baby,” she says softly, while skillfully covering its head with a towel, securely grips it by the neck, and lifts its injured legs, transferring the fox to a fresh, safe enclosure.
This isn’t how most of her days begin, but on the unpredictable frontlines of fox rescue, routine hardly ever exists. “You can never predict what you’re going to arrive at,” Townsend elaborates.
While far less iconic than the famous red double-decker buses, red foxes have become a staple presence in London— a city typically not associated with wildlife. Residential streets, alleys, and gardens become their rugged habitats. In times of need, these urban animals have their personal emergency service, ready to respond, with Townsend often at the wheel.
Foxes didn’t exactly invade the city; rather, they adapted as their natural habitats shrank with urban expansion during the 1930s and as new suburbs emerged.
The presence of foxes divides public opinion. While some people are charmed by glimpses of foxes casually trotting down streets or resting in gardens, others view them as nuisances. The creatures are known for leaving droppings indiscriminately, raiding trash bags, and the eerie cries of vixens during mating season chill the air in winter.
“It’s like Marmite with foxes,” Townsend notes, referencing the famously polarizing food spread. “You either love them or hate them.”
In light of this, Trevor Williams established The Fox Project over three decades ago. Formerly a musician opening for notable rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, Williams redirected his sense of activism from anti-fox hunting causes to urban fox protection, where foxes were historically culled. “Because of the myths that have occurred over the years, there’s still a lot of suspicion about what foxes might be,” Williams reflects.
The Fox Project evolved from mere advisory roles to rescuing approximately 1,400 foxes annually, including 400 cubs, though survival to release remains at about 50 percent. London is estimated to be home to around 15,000 foxes. The project primarily covers the southern parts of the city and its green suburbs, with other groups stepping in for other regions.
In the wild, fox diets range from small wildlife to berries and insects, but urban living invites them to scavenge human leftovers, resulting in greater dependence on people. Alongside ample food, urban foxes face threats such as road accidents and getting ensnared in children’s soccer nets or tight alleys. Struggles to escape often lead to injuries like deep cuts that may become infected, and mange remains a prevalent ailment.
In her VW Caddy, Townsend navigates cityscapes, highways, and winding rural roads, responding to distress calls about injured or orphaned foxes. Since her initial encounters two and a half years ago, like when she ineffectively chased a supposedly hurt fox, she’s continually learned.
Despite the many obstacles—such as rescuing a fox that ended up awkwardly suspended in a fence while its paws were stuck—only one major bite incident has occurred. Her vehicle carries a telltale musky odor of her vulpine passengers, which intensifies when nervous cubs soil themselves.
On a recent task, Townsend encountered a grieving couple who found a cub with a puncture wound on their lawn. “At first, we thought he was just asleep,” shared Charlotte English. “Then we realized something was wrong when he didn’t move.” Sadly, the cub had to be euthanized.
Recovered cubs are reared in groups before being released into rural settings, while grown foxes are typically set free where they were originally discovered.
The long-term outcomes for rehabilitated foxes remain uncertain, as their movements post-release are rarely monitored. A 2016 study noted that such foxes might behave as misfits in their old territories, potentially venturing further and encountering more threats.
“There’s an assumption that when you release them, they thrive and I think that that assumption needs to be challenged more,” states Bryony Tolhurst, a University of Brighton research fellow.
For Townsend, the heartbreak of losing foxes is somewhat eased by the satisfaction of seeing them reintroduced to the wild. Remembering those fleeting moments when freed foxes glimpse back seemingly in acknowledgment, she muses, “They’re just making sure we’re not chasing after them.”