How those flesh-chilling fox screeches keeping you awake at night aren't what you think - and which tricks to banish them really work
Pictured: Urban red fox sitting on top of a brick wallOnce you know the reason for a vixen's cry, you might feel differently about it. While foxes regularly bark and squeal to communicate, the howling is a female calling to her mate for food, says Graham Le Blond, one of the UK's urban fox experts. It's also impossible to take them to wildlife sanctuaries, which only accept arrivals that are injured or need medication – not regular, healthy urban foxes. 'Some people put out food and they'll tap on the window to attract the fox to come closer,' says Graham. Whatever the other dangers for an urban fox, starvation isn't one of them.
Source: Daily Mail March 19, 2026 19:09 UTC
