University calling on the public to report sightings of foxes for new research project
Researchers at the University of Galway are appealing to the public to register sightings of urban red foxes.
The survey is focused on Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Derry and Waterford, but a lot of their feedback has been from residents in Dublin.
Project Officer Jodie O’Regan believes the increased sightings can be attributed to the availability of food and shelter, with red foxes thriving in built-up areas due to the increased food opportunities.
“Foxes that are in the cities tend to be a bit scrawny, a bit dirtier and tattered in that sense,” Ms O’Regan said.
“When you see wild foxes, they tend to be very fluffy and bright red. They’re in more built-up habitats these days, climbing out of bins and everything. They tend to have a more tattered look.
“They are getting bolder and more confident. A couple of decades ago, you would rarely see them in the city. You would rarely see them walking around in the middle of the day.
“They’re nocturnal, you’ll mostly see them at night. But a lot of people are saying to me they will see them during the day. There seems to be even a change in the nocturnality, their sleeping patterns, because if food is available during the day, then why not?
“They just go after whatever rubbish or food is left around. They go after fruit that has fallen from trees in your garden, any insects around, and if they are hunting, it’s small mammals like rats or pigeons. They’re considered not dangerous at all to people.
“There was a study on the morphological differences in foxes, they did some studies on their bone structure, and they said that urban foxes were looking cuter and their faces were a little bit flatter.
“It’s almost like seeing the domestication of dogs all over again. They get that more round face that we find appealing.”
Ms O’Regan said studies from all over the world have recently been showing how much bolder urban foxes have become. But there has not been much research done in Ireland.
“It’s evolution in real time. Foxes have gotten a lot more comfortable around people. For the well-being of wildlife, it is better to have them afraid of people,” she said.
“It is better for them to fear people so that they stay out of trouble. But with the spread of urbanisation, they’re getting used to our presence.
“Because of that, they’re feeling more confident, and we have so many food sources available to them. It’s a trade-off of risk because they’re guaranteed food, and their chance of getting food is higher than their chance of getting harmed.
Research shows an increasing number of fox sightings during the day
“In other countries, they have just gotten more friendly in general. They will walk up to people, it’s very situational, but the overall behavioural difference we’re seeing is they’re getting bolder, more confident and more comfortable around people.
“I don’t think they’re a danger to people or pets. The main concern we hear about is ‘what if they attack my pets?’
“They’re still naturally very timid, very docile, they keep to themselves and stay out of trouble where possible. For the most part, they avoid pets as well.
“The only time people would be attacked or in a bad situation with a fox, is if you were to threaten them, if you were to corner them and they feel they have no other escape.
“It’s the same as any wild animal. They will get aggressive if you have forced them to be in that position, but generally they are not a dangerous animal.
“They like to keep to themselves. They only come around for food and they’re scavengers, so they’re not going to harm your pets.”
Each report the researchers get in a citizen science project of this nature will make a difference in understanding urban fox distribution and behaviour. This can shed light on the needs of the animals and the potential for cities to provide for them.
“We actually don’t know how many foxes are in Dublin now. That’s the point of the survey, to get a grasp of how many foxes there are,” she added.
“Right now, I’m getting the most reports in Dublin because, obviously, it’s the most densely populated city I’m surveying. In a couple of months, I’ll have a way better estimate of how many we have.
“We’ve gotten stories in, they come in and take their dog’s toys and run around with them. They’re really interesting.
“We want to get a good idea of the distribution in urban areas as well as their habitat use, their behaviour.
“We’re hoping to find some solutions for human, wildlife conflicts because everyone’s got varying opinions. But foxes tend to be considered pests.
“We will hopefully be able to put some sort of plan into advice for the public that don’t want foxes in their gardens.”
If you wish to report a fox sighting in your area, you can visit the Urban Fox Survey page, hosted by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, here.
