A new scientific survey is calling on the public to get involved in helping answer an on-going question amongst Irish scientists.
How many foxes are there in the capital? The Fox-Pop Project is a social media-based project where members of the public are invited to report their sightings of urban foxes. The main catchment area is between the North and South Canals, but all Dublin sightings will be taken into account.
Project founder and science journalist John Holden spoke with NewsFour. “There are no solid numbers on urban foxes. There was a study conducted in 1999 in Dun Laoghaire but that was a door-to-door procedure, less versatile than the technology we all have access to now. One of our aims is to gauge popular perception of foxes. There is a divide between rural attitudes – that foxes are vermin, and urban attitudes, where they are seen as part of the wildlife. Foxes in the city also seem to be healthier overall.”
Sightings can be reported directly and in detail at foxpop.info or on the project’s Facebook page, where more information is available for the curious.
By Ruairi Conneely
