Why foxes come to cities. 5 Questions and Answers

A fox entered the family park City Farm at VDNKh and tried to drag the rooster away, the institution said on the eve. According to him, the animal snuck out of the neighboring botanical garden and made a dig, the rooster managed to recapture.

The press service of VDNKh confirmed the incident and stressed that it occurred “within the boundaries of the natural territory, where human contact with wild fauna is most likely.” The situation is under the control of specialists. The administration of VDNKh urged visitors to follow the rules: do not feed wild animals, do not leave pets unattended and inform employees about meetings with predators.

RBC talked with experts, how common the exit of these animals in the city and what to do when meeting with them.

1. Why foxes appear in cities

In Rosprirodnadzor at the end of September warned that with the onset of autumn, the likelihood of foxes entering residential development increases. “Autumn begins the period of settlement. Young people are looking for their own sites. It is during this period that animals can be found most often close to roads and in settlements, the ministry said. They explained that encounters with foxes also contributes to the proliferation of urban agglomeration: residential buildings began to approach closer to the habitats of wild animals, including foxes.

Foxes easily adapt to the urban environment and gradually get used to the presence of a person, explained RBC zoologist and popularizer of science Ilya Gomyranov. In search of affordable food, they can go out into yards, visit garbage dumps and even approach people.

According to the zoologist, with the expansion of cities, the construction of roads and residential areas, deforestation and fragmentation of natural areas in wild animals becomes less habitual habitats, so encounters with foxes in the urban environment may well occur more often, he points out.

In cities, foxes often change their usual mode of activity: they often appear in the early morning and late evening, trying to avoid direct contact with a person. As Gomyranov explained, the appearance of a fox in the yard or an attempt to drag a poultry is “not some incredible event, but a completely understandable behavior of a wild predator”, for which the rooster is a potential prey.

2. Are foxes afraid of humans

Some animals are so used to people that they no longer fear them and may even beg for food, Gomyranov said.

“These are ordinary wild animals that are able to adapt to life alongside humans. Our task is not to create panic around each meeting, but also not to forget about reasonable caution, the expert advised.

As noted in a conversation with RBC candidate of biological sciences, zoologist Mikhail Krechmar, foxes feel great near a person, feed on rodents, pigeons and other available food sources. This is the natural ability of wild animals to adapt to urban environments, he said.

3. Foxes in Moscow: rare or not

According to Gomyranov, foxes are quite ordinary animals for the Moscow region and the middle strip of Russia, this is "not a sensation and not evidence of some invasion." They feel great in forests near settlements, and have long lived in large Moscow parks: Tsaritsyno, Filevsky Park, Losiny Ostrov and other green areas of the city, said the zoologist. Krechmar added that 1.5-2 km from his house, two foxes live in an ordinary sleeping area of Moscow.

4. How dangerous foxes are for people

The fox remains a wild predator, even if it looks calm and used to people, Gomyranov said. “You don’t have to try to pat her, hand-feed her or approach her for the sake of a photograph. A frightened or cornered animal can bite, he warned.

In addition, foxes can be carriers of rabies, as well as ticks and other parasites, so you can not let them contact pets, including dogs, Gomyranov said.

“Our task is not to create panic around each meeting, but also not to forget about reasonable caution,” the zoologist advised.

5. What to do when meeting a fox in the city

You can not iron, try to feed or photograph the animal. Avoid contact of foxes with domestic animals; Do not examine the den of foxes if it is found in the city.

An aggressive or sick-looking animal should be reported to the city.