Mammal · Urban & rural

Foxes: injuries, mange and cubs

The first 60 seconds

Leave it if
A fox that runs off is a fox that does not need you.
Help now if
Hit by a car, tangled in netting or fencing, or unable to get away from you.

Do this

  1. Keep your distance
  2. If it is trapped
  3. If it is unconscious

Never: do not try to pick up an active adult fox. It takes a grasper or a crush cage, and a fox bite goes to the bone.

Call a rescue near me

Foxes thrive in towns and countryside alike, and most of the time they need nothing from us. Here is how to spot the injured, the trapped and the mange cases that do.

Rescues across the UK take foxes

Handle?
No — call for help
Busiest months
Apr – Jul
Common problem
Sarcoptic mange
Cubs born
March – April
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The one thing to remember

A conscious adult fox will bite hard. Contain the scene and ring for help.

Step one

Does it need help?

Look before you touch. Intervening when an animal is fine is one of the most common mistakes — and it can cost the animal its life.

Leave it be if…

  • A fox that runs off is a fox that does not need you.
  • Cubs playing near an earth in spring and summer, even in daylight. The vixen will be close.
  • A fox lying in the sun in a garden. Urban foxes often sunbathe.

Step in if…

  • Hit by a car, tangled in netting or fencing, or unable to get away from you.
  • Advanced mange: crusted skin, a bare rat-like tail, eyes crusted shut, very thin.
  • Cubs crying and wandering in daylight for a long time, or found near a dead vixen.
  • Head stuck in a container or caught in a football net.

Step two

First aid, step by step

What to do in the first ten minutes, in order. If anything here feels unsafe, stop, step back and phone a rescue for advice instead.

  1. 01

    Keep your distance

    If it is loose and conscious, your job is to keep it contained and keep dogs and people away.

  2. 02

    If it is trapped

    Do not cut it free yourself. Netting is often wound tightly and cutting it releases a frightened, injured fox. Ring a rescue — they will bring a grasper and cage.

  3. 03

    If it is unconscious

    Cover it with a heavy blanket and, wearing thick gloves, move it into a large dog crate.

  4. 04

    Cubs

    Small cubs can be lifted with a towel into a high-sided box with a covered warm-water bottle. Then ring for advice — they may be reunited.

  5. 05

    Mild mange?

    Early mange can be treated in the wild. A rescue can advise on treatment without the fox being caught.

Important

What never to do

  • Do not try to pick up an active adult fox. It takes a grasper or a crush cage, and a fox bite goes to the bone.
  • Do not take cubs away from an earth because the mother is not visible. She is likely hunting.
  • Do not give mange treatments without advice from a rescue — dosage matters.

Food and water

Should I give it food or water?

Not while it is injured. In gardens, the occasional dog food is fine, but regular feeding makes foxes bolder and can cause disputes with neighbours.

Seasonal guide

Through the year

When rescues see the most foxes — and what is driving it.

Busiest in April, May and June.

  1. January: Busy
  2. February: Busy
  3. March: Busy
  4. April: Peak
  5. May: Peak
  6. June: Peak
  7. July: Busy
  8. August: Some
  9. September: Some
  10. October: Some
  11. November: Some
  12. December: Busy
  • Dec – JanMating season. The screaming at night is normal.
  • Apr – JunCubs above ground. Orphan season.
  • Year-roundMange, road traffic, netting.

Background

Fox facts

Around 150,000 urban foxes

Britain has one of the highest densities of urban foxes in the world.

Mange is treatable

Sarcoptic mange is caused by a mite. Untreated it is fatal, but rescues treat it successfully every day.

Short lives

Most wild foxes live only two or three years, mainly because of road traffic.

Prevention

Help them where you live

  • Take in sports nets (football and cricket) when not in use — they trap foxes and hedgehogs.
  • Rinse and crush tins and jars before recycling; foxes get their heads stuck.
  • Cover pond and drain holes.

The law. Foxes are covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 when under human control, and by the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, which makes cruelty to any wild mammal an offence.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Are foxes dangerous to my pets or children?
Foxes almost always avoid people. Attacks on children are extremely rare. Cats and foxes generally ignore each other; rabbits and chickens need secure housing.
A fox has been sleeping in my garden for days.
If it moves normally when disturbed and looks healthy, it is just resting. If it looks thin, scruffy or is not moving away, look at it for signs of mange and ring a rescue.

Ready to call?

Find a fox rescue near you

Ranked by who has confirmed space, then distance. Free, no sign-up.

General first-aid guidance compiled from UK rescue organisations, not veterinary advice. Where this and a vet disagree, the vet is right.

Keep reading

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