WILD IN THE CITY

The British urban fox is particularly prevalent in Bristol, but metropolitan life is not as cushy as it may seem

- WITH DAVID LINDO

THE WILY FOX MUST be one of the best-known animals in the UK. I am willing to place a wager that there must be less than 100 people in the country who have never heard of a fox before. I conducted a quick straw poll among some of my friends asking who had never seen a fox, and the result was a resounding zero. Everybody had seen a fox.

They go through your bins, scrounge discarded chips, lounge on lawns and garden furniture, are sometimes found squished on the road, or follow you, bold as brass, as you head home feeling slightly squiffy after a night out. These were just some of the comments I received during my completely unscientific survey. Nighttime is the right time for foxes. When they are checking out the nightlife from your garage roof there is no one around to tell them to get off.