Foxes: Tricksters, Troublemakers, and Unsung Rewilding Heroes
- Greg
- 1 day ago
- 12 min read
Following on from last week's blog about our stocky, snuffly friends the badgers, it would’ve felt a bit rude not to give some airtime to their more ginger, pointy-nosed neighbours—the foxes. Love them or curse them for screaming like banshees at 3am, foxes are woven into the very fabric of British life.
They’re not just lurking in the undergrowth; they’re in our stories, our sayings, and even our Saturday morning telly. From the cunning Reynard of medieval folklore to Basil Brush’s iconic “Boom Boom!” on the box, the fox has long walked the line between admired rogue and crafty villain. We describe the sly, the sharp, the beautiful as “fox-like”—and whether you’ve spotted one trotting through a field or raiding a recycling bin, you probably had a reaction.
Foxes are part folklore, part nuisance, part scavenger, and a completely underrated piece of the rewilding puzzle.
A Quick Fox Primer
We’re talking about the red fox (Vulpes vulpes)—Britain’s most widespread wild carnivore, and arguably the most versatile. Foxes are masters of adaptation, equally at ease slinking through a quiet woodland, sunbathing in a farmer’s field, sneaking across a golf course with zero regard for tee times, or trotting down the high street like they’ve got a 7pm table booked at a Little Italy, the best Italian in Rainford. I once saw one casually having a nosey in a bin outside a chip shop in Otley, like it owned the place—and to be fair, it kind of did.
Foxes are omnivores (Om-nom-nom-nom-nivores), which is a fancy way of saying they'll eat just about anything.
Their diet includes:
Small mammals (voles, mice, rabbits—basically any cute fluffy thing that scurries and squeaks)
Insects (especially beetles—tasty, "cronchy", protein-packed snack)
Fruit and berries (blackberries, fallen apples, and even the odd strawberry if you’re not quick enough to pick them first)
Worms and amphibians (they’ll happily slurp up whatever they dig out of damp soil or ponds)
Human scraps (when they get cheeky—or when someone forgets to put the lid on the bin)
They tend to live in dens called earths—burrows often borrowed from rabbits, badgers or painstakingly dug themselves in quiet, overgrown spots. These become the family home during cub season. Fox cubs are born blind, deaf, and helpless, but they grow fast. By late spring they’re tumbling around outside, practicing their pouncing skills on each other and terrorising flower beds with absolute joy. If you’ve ever seen a garden suddenly erupt in chaos at twilight, it might not be poltergeists—it could just be the local fox cubs playing tag.
Fox families usually consist of a breeding pair and their offspring, with older siblings sometimes sticking around to help raise the next litter. Think of it like a slightly chaotic family-run business—with one parent on security, another on food delivery, and the kids doing marketing via garden appearances.
They're clever, they're curious, and they thrive in both rural and urban settings—making them one of the UK’s most successful (and controversial) wild residents.
My first run-in with the wily fox was while camping in the beautiful gardens of Sizergh Castle. I used to be part of an English Civil War re-enactment group called the Sealed Knot, which meant I got to pitch my tent in some truly picturesque places— usually after a historically inaccurate evening in the beer tent...
One particular morning, after a night of merriment (and more rum than was strictly necessary), I woke up with a mouth like the inside of a dry boot and a headache that felt like it was staging a full-blown rebellion inside my skull. That’s when I heard it—a strange, rhythmic noise, like Velcro being gently but firmly rubbed against a drum. I opened my bleary eyes to find a pair of impressively large canines pressed against the canvas above my face. A big, flat tongue was working its way along the outer tent fabric, trying to lap up the condensation… centimetres from my head.
Turns out, a thirsty fox was using my tent as a drinking station.
In the moment, it was equal parts heart-warming and horrifying (you try waking up face-to- a toothy snout while mildly hungover). But it gave me a lasting respect for how quietly these animals move through our lives. What really struck me, though, was how unfazed it seemed by the wildebeest-level snoring of my better half coming from the pillow next to me. Brave, curious, and clearly not bothered about personal space—that fox earned my admiration then and there.
Foxes in the Food Web
While badgers may be the underground engineers of the countryside, foxes are their nimble, above-ground cousins—patrolling the hedgerows, keeping pests in check, and cleaning up after the messier members of the ecosystem. You could almost call them the cup of tea to the badger’s chocolate digestive.
In a healthy ecosystem, predators play an absolutely crucial role, even if they sometimes get a bad rep for being the “bad guys.” Foxes in particular are essential to keeping the natural balance in check. Without them, things can spiral into chaos—cute, fluffy chaos, but chaos nonetheless.
Here’s how foxes help keep things ticking along:
Controlling rodent populations – Mice, voles, and rats breed like, well… rodents. Left unchecked, they can do serious damage to crops, gardens, and natural vegetation. Foxes act as natural pest control, silently patrolling and keeping those numbers down without the need for traps or poisons.
Removing dead animals – Foxes are nature’s underrated janitors. They’ll happily scavenge carrion (that’s fancy talk for “anything already dead”) and in doing so, help prevent the spread of disease while recycling nutrients back into the environment. Think of them as the clean-up crew no one asks for but everyone needs.
Keeping herbivore numbers in check – Rabbits might look harmless, but in large numbers they can turn a field into something that resembles a barren wasteland—stripped of greenery, overgrazed, and struggling to recover. Overgrazing not only stunts plant growth but also leaves the soil vulnerable to erosion. Foxes help balance these populations, ensuring that meadows and wildflower patches have a chance to thrive.
Strengthening the gene pool – By preying on the old, weak, or sick individuals, foxes contribute to natural selection. This helps reduce the spread of disease and makes prey populations more resilient in the long run. Harsh? Maybe. But it’s how nature’s quality control works.
When predator species like foxes are absent or persecuted, ecosystems can become unbalanced. You get prey explosions, habitat degradation, and—on a human level—more pests nibbling on your veg patch and nesting under your shed floor.
So while they might occasionally help themselves to a rogue sandwich or dig up a lawn or two, foxes are doing some pretty heavy ecological lifting behind the scenes. They're more than bushy-tailed mischief-makers—they're wildlife caretakers in disguise.
The Urban Fox Divide
Foxes have a real knack for adapting to urban life—some might say a little too good at it. With sprawling housing estates, golf courses, back gardens and ginnels replacing their natural hunting grounds, foxes have taken the “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” approach to human civilisation.
But this flexibility often gets them into trouble. They’ve been blamed for everything from tipped bins to mysteriously disappearing shoes (yes, really—foxes have been caught on camera running off with Crocs, slippers, and even a steel-toe boot or two). Then there's the livestock drama, usually involving chickens or ducks. While it’s true that an unsecured coop is an open invitation for any predator, the tales of foxes wiping out flocks left and right are often exaggerated or based on rare incidents.
Let’s be clear: foxes aren’t breaking into bins for the thrill of it. They’re opportunists, not villains. If you saw a sandwich left unattended on a park bench, wouldn’t you be tempted? (Okay, maybe not you—but a fox absolutely would!) They’re doing what wild animals do best—surviving—just in an environment that’s stacked against them.
Their behaviour can be misunderstood because we often expect wildlife to follow our rules. But foxes don’t recognise property lines or bin day schedules. They don't make moral judgments—they make quick decisions based on food, safety, and survival.
Urban or rural, foxes spark fierce debates. Some people put food out for them. Others chase them off. But in reality, foxes can co-exist surprisingly well with humans—as long as there’s a bit of mutual respect, some understanding, and maybe a reinforced compost bin or two.
Instead of trying to get rid of them, we can learn to fox-proof our lives while giving them the space to live theirs. After all, they were here before the pavements, and they’ll likely still be trotting around long after our wheelie bins have all been turned into worm farms (yes that's randomly a thing).
So How Do Foxes Fit Into the Rewilding Puzzle?
Foxes might not be as headline-grabbing as wolves or beavers, but they’re already out there, quietly pulling their weight in the ecosystem—and in many cases, doing it in our back gardens.
Here’s what they bring to the wild table:
Top-down control – As mid-sized predators, foxes help to keep populations of smaller mammals like voles, mice, and rabbits in check. Without this natural balance, prey populations can balloon, leading to overgrazing and stressed-out ecosystems (and gardeners). They act as nature’s pest control, no license required.
Scavenging – Foxes are excellent opportunists, and that includes cleaning up carrion (aka dead animals). This is more than just gross-good behaviour—it’s a key part of nutrient cycling and disease prevention. By removing potential breeding grounds for pathogens, foxes help keep the wider ecosystem healthy and tidy-ish.
Habitat use – Foxes dig and maintain underground dens (called earths), which can later be used by other animals like badgers, rabbits, and even insects. These little hidey-holes can become vital homes or stop-offs for a wide variety of creatures once the foxes move on. They’re accidental landlords of the wild.
Mobility and connectivity – One of the underrated aspects of fox life is how much ground they cover. Their movement through fields, gardens, woodland edges and urban areas helps connect fragmented habitats, making it easier for seeds to spread, insects to travel, and ecological interactions to keep ticking along.
Boing!
But perhaps one of the most important things foxes bring to the rewilding conversation is perspective.
Foxes remind us that rewilding isn’t always about reintroducing lost species or creating new habitats from scratch. Sometimes, it’s about recognising the species that are already here, quietly doing the job, and finding ways to coexist with them better. Rewilding can be as much about changing our perception as it is about changing the landscape.
So before we dream big about beavers, lynx and wolves (no offence to either), let’s take a moment to appreciate the ginger-furred trickster already trotting through our hedgerows and high streets. Foxes are rewilding success stories in motion—living proof that wild things can thrive alongside us… provided we give them the chance.
Threats Foxes Face (Beyond Misunderstanding)
For all their adaptability, charm, and cleverness, foxes still face more than their fair share of challenges—and, sadly, many of them are courtesy of us humans.
Fox hunting may have been banned in the UK since 2005, but the controversy hasn’t exactly ridden off into the sunset. Trail hunting, the supposed legal alternative where hounds follow a pre-laid scent trail instead of a live animal, has sparked just as much suspicion as tradition. Critics argue that it’s often used as a cover for old-school hunting, with “accidental” fox chases still happening all too conveniently. Add to that the difficulty of enforcing the ban, and it’s clear the fox isn’t quite out of the woods when it comes to organised pursuit.
Roads, though, are likely the biggest threat of all—especially for young foxes striking out on their own in spring and summer. Rainford, like much of the UK, is a patchwork of green spaces sliced up by busy lanes and faster roads. The lack of wildlife corridors means even the smartest fox has to take its chances dashing across tarmac. If you've ever seen one lying by the roadside, it's a grim reminder of how fragile their grip on our shared space really is.
Then there’s the more covert threats. In some areas, foxes are still poisoned or trapped, particularly where they’re seen as pests or blamed for raiding hen houses. And while protecting livestock is understandable, the methods used aren't always humane—or legal. Sometimes foxes are punished simply for being visible, vocal, or cheeky.
There’s also the less obvious stuff: the slow nibble of habitat loss, the gardens that swap hedgerows for gravel and fences, the growing lack of safe, connected green space for them to den, raise cubs, and hunt without dodging cars or dogs.
None of this is to say foxes aren’t tough. They’re scrappy, resilient, and resourceful—probably more so than most wildlife we share our spaces with. But even the most cunning creatures need a bit of help sometimes: A patch of wild grass left unmowed. A hole in the fence that isn’t blocked up. A little more understanding when they skulk past with a chip shop wrapper in their mouth.
In the end, rewilding isn’t about perfection—it’s about possibility and giving foxes a fair shot at survival is part of that bigger, wilder picture.
Living with Foxes: Tips for Coexistence
Foxes are brilliant neighbours—if you understand how to live alongside them. They’re not out to destroy your bins or steal your socks out of spite (probably). They’re just clever, curious, and opportunistic. If you’re lucky enough to share space with them, here’s how to keep things peaceful:
Secure your bins and compost – Foxes are the ultimate bin-day burglars. If your food waste isn’t locked up tight, they’ll happily take it off your hands—and scatter it across your drive. Use tight-fitting lids or bungee cords, and avoid putting out food scraps too early.
Don’t feed them directly – It’s tempting, especially when they’re looking at you with those big eyes like some kind of woodland Oliver Twist. But feeding foxes can encourage them to lose their natural wariness of people, which puts them at greater risk. A bold fox is more likely to get complaints—or worse. Instead, make your garden naturally inviting with native plants and habitat space.
Keep chickens secure – Foxes don’t have a personal vendetta against your hens. They just love an easy meal. A well-built, secure coop with solid fencing, buried wire mesh, and secure latches is the best way to keep both your birds and the local foxes safe. Think Fort Knox, but for poultry.
Appreciate from a distance – They may look like a mix between a ginger dog and a teddy bear, but foxes are wild animals. Watching them from indoors or from afar with binoculars is the best way to enjoy their antics without disturbing their natural behaviour—or turning them into garden celebrities.
"Ah look at them... so majestic.."
Already doing the basics? Here's how to go the extra (fox) mile:
Plant native shrubs and hedges – Species like hawthorn, hazel, and blackthorn aren’t just great for birds and insects—they also provide cover and resting spots for foxes during the day. A tangled corner of your garden might be just what a sleepy vixen needs.
Leave gaps in fences – A small hole at ground level (around 13–15cm) can help foxes move safely between gardens, avoiding roads and creating little green corridors across neighbourhoods.
Set up a trail cam – Trail cameras are a great way to feel more connected to your local wildlife. Pop one near a likely fox path (by the compost bin or along a fence line) and you might be rewarded with footage of your nocturnal neighbours going about their night-time routines.
Small actions like these create a ripple effect. You don’t have to turn your whole garden into a nature reserve overnight—rewilding works best when it’s done gradually, with a dash of curiosity and a stubborn refusal to believe the wild has to stay “out there.”
Foxes might not ask for much, but giving them just a little space and consideration can go a long way. In return, you get front-row seats to one of nature’s most enchanting performers.
Foxes Deserve a Place in Our Wild Future
Rewilding isn’t just about wolves, beavers, or grand reintroductions in faraway forests. It’s also about looking closer to home—at the creatures already living among us, quietly holding the threads of the natural world together. And few do it with as much stealth, style, and sass as our ginger-furred friends, the foxes.
Yes, they can be mischievous. Yes, they can scream like banshees at 3am just when you’ve finally drifted off to sleep. And yes, they might steal the odd slipper or try to break into your compost bin like it’s the Great Fox Bake Off. But beyond all that, foxes are survivors. They’re hunters, scavengers, caretakers of balance, and quiet connectors of wild spaces—doing their bit whether we notice or not.
They remind us that wildness isn’t always out there, in some distant nature reserve or protected parkland. Sometimes, it’s right under our noses—trotting past a garden fence, darting through a hedgerow, or raising a litter of cubs under an old shed.
Got foxes visiting your garden? Ever had one steal a slipper, or watched cubs tumbling through your flowerbed like they own the place? Come swap stories and share sightings in the Rainford’s Rewilders Facebook group—we're always up for a bit of foxy banter.
So next time you spot a flash of russet fur in the twilight, or hear that eerie bark cutting through the quiet, maybe pause a moment. Give them a silent nod, or a whispered “alright, mate.”
They’re not just troublemakers.
They’re part of the plan. And luckily for us, they’re already here.
