After several members of the public have been in touch regarding concerns and advice, I have decided to do a reminder. Please remember, a healthy natural diet helps to ensure healthy foxes. Wild foxes should only need to be fed daily when medicating them. We have a responsibility to wildlife not to interfere. In the words of Trevor Williams of the Fox Project; "They don't need us".

Should we be feeding foxes?

To answer this question, Somerset Live spoke with The Fox Man, a non-for-profit organisation based up north in Greater Manchester, but whose Facebook presence and quick response time for any fox lover looking for advice, has stretched across the country.

The Fox Man says: "The main issue with regards to feeding foxes is them becoming dependent on you for food. "If for whatever reason you have to stop – i.e. you move house, or go on holiday, the fox which has until then been used to being fed daily, suddenly has its regular food supply cut short and can therefore struggle. It may then need to search further afield to find food, which can sometimes result in them encroaching on other foxes territories, leading to territorial battles in worst cases. The best advice is to give them small amounts of food such as peanuts or a small helping of dog food."

He added: "If feeding foxes, the best way to do it is leave the food out rather than give it to the foxes by hand or encourage them to associate you with food, as they’ll soon learn humans are nothing to fear, which is not good for them as not everyone will be as fox friendly as you. Basically, you don't want to make a fox dependent on you for food or encourage them to go to humans expecting food. They're quite adept at finding their own supply of food and they tend to bury food for later if they have excess. What we find in some cases is people feed them KFC chicken bucket-size amounts of food and then neighbours end up complaining that they are finding chicken drumsticks buried in their garden!"

How much food is too much?

We know from studies into fox diets that up to 18% of an urban foxes diet can consist of human food waste (considerably less for country foxes). We also know that foxes need around 120 calories/kg of bodyweight/day for maintenance in a thermoneutral environment, weighing around 4-8kg, on average.

Foxes also consume a weight of about 400g daily, meaning that a single urban fox will eat approximately 70g of human food waste throughout a single day and then will cache the rest (we don't want caching).

So we can infer from this, that if a fox is being fed <70g of fox appropriate foods every 2-3 days, it is unlikely to be making them dependent on you or impacting on their health and behaviour in any meaningful way.

An example of a 70g treat bag, from Lily's Kitchen (approximately 270 calories/bag) can be found, here.

More on feeding wild foxes here: Wildlife Feeding Ethics.

So what should I feed foxes?

Unless there is a welfare need to do so, (such as when a fox needs medication under veterinary guidance), there is no need to feed wild foxes at all.

Foxes play an important ecological role in seed dispersal by the consumption and excrement of fruits and berries. Their waste is also beneficial for the growth of trees (trees growing on and around the sites of fox dens, especially long-established fox dens, grow faster than trees without vulpine intervention) and their activity digging for earthworms and insects may also benefit soil productivity by aerating and nutrient loading the soil, which they deposit through their excrement and cached prey items. Feeding foxes without need creates problems for the environment and the foxes.

It is possible to encourage foxes and to watch their fascinating natural behaviours without feeding them and risking making them dependent by planting native and edible plants. Up to 30% of a foxes diet can consist of plant matter. By supporting a healthy environment and plating native plants, you support the foxes by providing means for them to use their natural self-medicating behaviours to stay healthy and support their prey, which in turn supports the foxes.

Some canid-safe, parasite-busting, immune-boosting plants include;

Mugwort, Garden Cress, Dandelion, Broadleaf Plantain, Milk Thistle, Chamomile, Fennel, Turmeric, Chicory, Chervil, Carrot, Celeriac, Pumpkin, Wild Oats, Barley, Rye, Hibiscus, Blackberry, Rosehip, Wild Strawberry, Blueberry, Mulberry, Gooseberry, Juniper, Elderberry, Coriander, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Peppermint, Sweet Basil, Lemon Balm, Sunflower, Valerian and Dill.

What are a foxes dietary requirements?

When feeding any animal, wild or domesticated, we assume responsibility for our actions the minute we take them. If you are to feed wild foxes a supplementary diet to encourage them into your garden, ensure you know what foxes can and cannot eat, what their natural diets are and how much is too much - this is a legal requirement for captive fox keepers, and is vital for fox health and welfare.

Foxes have very small stomachs and eat little more than a cat. The fact foxes carry off food is not a sign they are hungry, foxes will cache food they both like and dislike, most commonly in a neighbours garden where they can come into contact with cat faeces and the toxoplasmosis parasite. It is best not to feed a fox food that it can take away to cache.

A wild fox is estimated to eat around 400g of food a night, which is roughly equivalent to a young rabbit or around 5-10 rodents, depending on its size. A fox has a relatively small stomach and consumes around 10% of it's bodyweight, compared to around 20% for dogs and other canines.

Over a course of a year, wild foxes are thought to consume around 150 kg of food, if supplementary feeding, this will equate to around 1 bag of Wild Things Fox and Badger Food per month, per fox (around 70g of the complete diet/day).

They can eat a wide variety of foods, including;

• Rodents (*captive fox keepers will purchase frozen prey from exotic pet or bait shops)

• Rabbits*

• Birds & Eggs (quail, duck, chicken, pheasant, goose, bantam etc.)

• Amphibians & Small lizards

• Insects, Earthworms & Invertebrates* (do not release live food into the environment, they can be humanely euthanized by freezing the containers or by purchasing them as dried food)

• Fruits & Vegetables

• Grains, Nuts, Shoots & Seeds

• Commercial Cat and Dog Foods

• Fox-Appropriate, Unspoiled, Human Food Waste

Do not feed foxes;

• Cooked bones, which can splinter and cause intestinal damage

• Chocolate, which can cause toxicity, resulting in heart or nervous system damage

• Onion, garlic or mushroom as these can cause toxicity and cause blood disorders

• Raw pork, which can carry trichinella and needs to be cooked (or frozen for 6 months)

• Raisins or grapes, as these can kill other canids, such as dogs, by an unknown mechanism

• Fruit seeds and pips, as these can cause toxicity and liver failure

• Caffeine or xylitol, as these cause nervous system damage and liver failure

• Fatty, processed foods, which can cause pancreatitis and heart disease

• Foods high in salt, which can increase thirst and cause poisoning

• Foods high in sugar, which can contribute to dental issues and diabetes

• Walnuts and macadamia nuts, as these are toxic to other canids such as dogs

• Spoiled, mouldy, contaminated or "off" smelling food, as this invites ill-health

• Human medications to treat ailments, as these can cause kidney failure and death

More on fox nutrition here: www.blackfoxes.co.uk/silver-fox-nutrition.php

Does food presentation influence disease?

Yes. Be aware that food presentation is important, as this can contribute to issues such as; infighting, excessive caching or marking in neighbours gardens, increased dependence (laziness) and increased risks of disease.

There is a reason ourselves and our pets do not all eat out of the same bowl. There is a reason we do not leave excessive food out uncovered for extended periods. There is a reason we keep our bowls and utensils clean. There is a reason highly processed foods should not make up large amounts of our diets.

Please consider how you might be promoting parasite and disease transmission with your food choice and presentation methods, and be sure to reduce the risks wherever possible.

What are the do's and don'ts when feeding?

• Do leave out a bowl of fresh water, ensuring you change it daily. Make sure you take responsibility for cleaning any bowls or utensils to avoid the spread of disease.

• Do limit supplementary feeding to 70g per fox every 2-3 day and scatter feed to keep foxes entertained longer for your viewing pleasure. Only offer just enough food so that there is little to no waste. Ensure the fox still moves off to forage naturally and retains it's natural hunting skills and caution of people.

• Do plant native and edible plants to support the local ecology. During particularly dry or cold spells, when things like insects and earthworms are harder to reach in the hard ground, supplementary feeding (with no more than 70g per fox), can be increased from every 2-3 days to daily, until the weather improves.

• Don't habituate foxes, it will lead to their demise. - Fed Fox Caught and Euthanised

• Don't overfeed, it will lead to new health issues. - Fox Nursed Back to Health by Blackheath Woman

• Don't hand feed, it changes behaviour - Nuisance Foxes Trying to Make off with a Baby with Surge In Sightings

• Don't invite wild foxes into your home, it is a recipe for disaster - Woman Mauled by Fox as she Slept in Bed

Please do not do feed in the way the images depict below; 

How do I support foxes without feeding them?

That is a great question. What foxes need most is a safe space to be foxes without being disturbed. This can be done by giving up a space in your garden to nature and allowing it to grow wild, by planting native, fruit bearing and medicinal plants and by providing safe hides and resting spaces that allow foxes to enjoy the sun or keep out of bad weather, in total safety.

Also bear in mind that foxes only remain rooted to one place when they litter down to raise young from March-August, though they will often return to the same breeding ground. When foxes are breeding it is important to give them their space and allow the parents the opportunity and time to teach their cubs how to hunt and forage, and not how to beg for store brought, factory farmed processed foods, from local houses and well-intentioned fox feeders all doing the same thing.

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