While the fox population on Prince Edward Island(Canada) is not necessarily growing, the population is getting more comfortable living in and among human dwellings..............Like with any wild animal, if we humans accidently or purposely leave out foodstuffs, the foxes will opportunistically take advantage of the easy meals and become habituated to human presence..................

Prince Edward Island(Canada)

 issues warning to keep urban

 foxes wild

Department of Forest, Fish and Wildlife warning

 people not to feed, approach the animals

cbc.ca

The province says there are an  increasing  number of red foxes making  their way into  suburban P.E.I. neighbourhoods  and Islanders  need to make sure the critters  don't become  too comfortable.

The province put a notice in a 
local newspaper
 reminding people that red foxes
 are wild animals,
 even if they seem friendly.

"Foxes are a capable predator,
 certainly scratches
 and bites are always a possibility.
 Transfer of 
diseases is another one," said
 provincial wildlife 
biologist Brad Potter.

Potter said the province isn't certain
 that the
 fox population on P.E.I. is growing
 but Marina
 Silva-Opps, a UPEI researcher, 
said the number
 of sightings is on the rise.

Silva-Opps has been tracking the
 animals online
 since the fall, using tips from the
 public.There
 have been more than 1,000 sightings
 so far, 
with lots of hot spots in Charlottetown.
Potter
 said the problem is that many people
 are feeding
 the foxes, which keeps them coming
 back.
"Once a fox is fed and becomes
 habituated to
 being around people, it eventually
 becomes a
 nuisance and a serious problem for
 some," he said.

There's no provincial regulation against
 trapping
 foxes. There's also no fine given to
 people who
 feed foxes outside of provinical and 
national parks
.Instead of feeding foxes, Potter 
suggests
 homeowners make loud noises 
to scare the 
foxes away, or leave deterrents 
around the yard.

Fox deterrents can be made using
 homemade
 recipes that include things that foxes
 don't like 
such as hot peppers and onions, dish 
soap and
 castor oil .A simple homemade deterrent
 can
 be made by mixing Tabasco sauce with
 vinegar,
 sprayed around a property.

"They might look cute and cuddly,
 people
 might
 think that they're pets. We want to 
make sure 
people know that foxes and other 
wildlife are
 better left observed from a distance," 
said Potter.