Photo by Carol Hamilton / Getty Images
By Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin
Paynter, H., Silva-Opps, M., Vanderstitchel, R., & Opps, S. B. (2024a, July 17). Den-site selection of an urban red fox (Vulpes vulpes) population in the city of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Canadian Wildlife Biology and Management. https://cwbm.ca/den-site-selection-of-an-urban-red-fox...
This Charlottetown, PEI study identifies urban foxes’ ideal denning sites in order to better mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
As urban populations grow, we are seeing more urban wildlife in our cities, including the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), a carnivore that has adapted well to urban environments. Examining wildlife resource selection is a way to understand spatial distribution; finding suitable denning sites directly impacts foxes’ success in urban environments. However, little is known about their ideal denning sites in city scapes, especially when natural habitat is limited in these areas, forcing wildlife to rely on other types of land use for denning. Den sites can lead to conflict with humans such as aggression toward humans, property damage, and potential disease transfer. Therefore, understanding den site selection in urban environments can inform wildlife management and mitigate human-fox conflict, especially when it comes to zoonotic disease transfer (i.e. diseases that can be passed from animals to humans).
Researchers observed 98 fox dens over the span of 2 years in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island through field surveys and citizen science. The researchers examined factors that influenced den site selection, such as distance to roads and commercial and residential buildings and land use.
The 98 dens that were observed occurred in various land use types:
- 21 in natural areas
- 2 in agricultural areas
- 30 in green spaces
- 45 in high human density areas
The high prevalence of fox dens in human dense areas can reflect the availability of human food sources, which can provide localized and consistent nourishment for prenatal females and kits.
Additionally, this research demonstrated a higher likelihood of fox dens being found away from roads, revealing that foxes may also be avoiding human disturbances like noise and vehicles; however, beyond 50m, the likelihood of finding a fox den decreased, which man indicate foxes may benefit from being close to roads for foraging and movement purposes. The authors also noted that ~20% of the dens were re-used in the second year of this study.
Photo by Claude Laprise / Getty Images
This research reveals that foxes’ opportunistic nature allows them to choose den sites in non-optimal locations and provides more knowledge about how foxes adapt to human populated landscapes; their proximity to green spaces and human dense areas may be attributed to higher availability of human food sources. Understanding these patterns of den sites can help wildlife managers mitigate human-fox conflict long-term.
About Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin
Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Guelph where she studied human-African wild dog conflict and conservation in Botswana, Africa. Valli has always been interested in the human dimensions of wildlife, in particular, humans’ relationships with large carnivores, she collaborated with the Fur-Bearers on a research project exploring Canadians’ perceptions of and knowledge about wolves. Valli is also passionate about dogs, and advocates for dog welfare through her Instagram channel @thelivesofwilddogs. In her spare time, she runs a pet pantry at her local community centre for pet guardians experiencing pet food insecurity.
