Abstract
The red fox is one of the most adaptable carnivores inhabiting cities. The aim of our study was to describe the process of Warsaw colonization by the red fox. We focused on: (1) the fox distribution in Warsaw on the basis of presence-absence data (2005–2012) over a grid of 1 × 1 km2, (2) the process of settlement in 29 green areas (study periods 1976–1978, 2004–2012, and 2016–2019) in relation to habitat type, and (3) temporal and spatial patterns of the red fox incidents (1998–2015) reported by Warsaw citizens. We found out that: (1) the red fox penetrated the whole city (i.e. its presence was confirmed in all squares of the grid), (2) 21% of the green areas were colonized in 1976–1978 but 93% in 2016–2019. Forests and riparian habitats were occupied more frequently than parks and cemeteries in 1976–1978 with no difference in the further years; (3) the probability of the fox incidents increased over years, was higher in June-October, on working days, and around noon, and with the share of discontinuous urban fabric in the buffers around incident locations. Nevertheless, the incidents only partially reflect population abundance trends and activity patterns of the species, so should be treated cautiously.
Highlights
The first red foxes in urban areas were recorded in the 1930s in the suburbs of London[12,32]
Nowadays, red fox populations have been recorded from more than one hundred cities around the world, mostly in Great Britain and other European c ountries[37], but new cities have been c olonized[28] and some urban populations have continued to increase in numbers[31]
It may be assumed that the connectivity between green areas on each side of the river is relatively maintained, and that the system of protected areas in Warsaw provides a safeguard to populations of most, especially small mammal species[51]
Summary
The first red foxes in urban areas were recorded in the 1930s in the suburbs of London[12,32]. Preliminary studies on red fox population in Warsaw, conducted in the 1970s, showed a very low population density and just incidental (and associated to forest areas in peripheral city zones) records of breeding [Goszczyński J., unpublished]. We checked what were the temporal and spatial factors shaping the pattern of red fox incidents and related this to both carnivore biology and ecology and human activity within the city. This would help to evaluate usefulness of such data to document population increase of the red fox in urban conditions
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