Bitey Fox.

[Babbit]

I’m not sure how many other people have experienced this; but both me and one of my friends have the same story.

Around Crawthew Grove and Crystal Palace Road: I was followed by a large fox right on my heel. At first I didn’t notice because I had my headphones on, but then I noticed my shadow had an extra lump in it, funnily enough, it was a fox, very very close to my feet. Even if I sped up walking it just tried to get closer - it was quite frightening actually, it was quite clear that it wanted to nip me. I didn’t know what to do so, I started to reprimand the fox and walked slowly away from it, facing it - which it didn’t seem to like and backed off a bit. I then proceeded to speed-walk away.

 

Quite frankly, the whole situation was quite embarrassing and a little bit frightful as I’d never had a fox even come up to me. I’ve heard of particularly curious foxes that might come up to someone who beckons them, and maybe even bite that person, but I’ve never heard of a fox chasing someone. The amount of confidence that it had was incredible. 
 

When it happened, I was on the way to see some friends, and once I had told one of them, she told me the same thing happened to her. 

if anyone else knows anything about this bitey fox then let me know!

[Jenijenjen]

I've noticed the foxes are very frisky at the moment, it's mating season. Perhaps it was a male fox who saw you as a danger to his vixen and wanted to see you off.

[Penguin68]

It's also possible that someone is hand feeding foxes and encouraging them by this to approach others. I have heard of foxes attacking young children (if only anecdotally) but not adults. They do seem to attack cats. 

[Jenijenjen]

11 minutes ago, Penguin68 said:

They do seem to attack cats. 

Watching my cats over the years with foxes, I've found that foxes have totally ignored them. One exception was when a young fox hadn't seen my cat and found himself eye to eye with my cat at a distance of 1 metre. There was a stand off but the fox blinked first and my cat chased him out of the garden. So proud of her.

I believe when foxes have attacked cats, the cat has been vulnerable  - old, young, ill wounded.

[Penguin68]

1 hour ago, Jenijenjen said:

I believe when foxes have attacked cats, the cat has been vulnerable  - old, young, ill wounded.

Certainly the infamous (and mythical) SE London cat killer turned out to be foxes attacking dying and dead cats injured by cars, but fox: cat encounters do appear to happen, even where cats are victorious. Fox: adult humans less so. At least where foxes are the aggressors.

[Lamusica]

Although this sounds worrying, a "bitey" fox is unusual. I see foxes all the time where I live near Rye Lane and have never experienced this. I've even seen a fox sitting in the garden where an outdoor cat lives, whilst the cat was there - the cat was fine and is still alive. I think my flat is on a fox path because I hear and see them most nights, none of the local cats seem bothered by them. I can't help but wonder what would make the fox act in such a way, I've just read that toxoplasmosis might make them more aggressive 

[the_hermit]

The young ones can bite car tyres around this time of year - I assume they do it for the thrill of the hiss or something like that.  We had a spate of damaged tyres and thought it was a disturbed person or at a stretch an environmental protestor taking it too far, but caught a fox on a house camera.

[louisemurray]

I've seen my cat many times walk straight past a fox, at less than half a metre separation. both animals ignored each other.

[David Peckham]

3 minutes ago, louisemurray said:

I've seen my cat many times walk straight past a fox, at less than half a metre separation. both animals ignored each other.

Have they had a bit of a 'falling out'?.

[Huggers]

Driving down Lordship

lane around 2.45pm today saw a v sick looking fox walking in and out of the crowd. 

[Happyme5]

I remember seeing something a few years ago on TV about a fox that was actually biting through people's shopping / takeaway food bags.  It was situated in an alleyway.  Not in London.  Very interesting in how the  urban foxes brain development has  been affected by their surroundings.   Not an exact quote from Darwin.  It's the adaptable that survive / not the strongest or the most intelligent.   I would be worried if a fox came close me.   Because they might be after my fur babies and they carry a lot of nasties.   Although they look beautiful from a distance or on a 🎄 card.  

Edited December 21, 2025 by Happyme5
Addition

[Angelina]

Let’s not all get scared of the foxes now.

Most likely explanation is protecting its den or association with food.

We have foxes, and cats and they are no bother to each other. The fox will leave when the cats are out. 

 

[Rockets]

Some foxes are very tame. The foxes that live near the electricity sub-station thing on the corner of Calton and Woodwarde will happily walk up to you/passed you. They are some of the best looking foxes around so clearly being well-fed - glorious coats and bushy tails but interested in humans and keen to engage/be fed rather than being scared.

[civilservant]

I've never been in a stand-off with a fox, and have never heard of this happening to anyone else before! we have foxes on and off in our garden and they tend to be quite timid.  Our dog goes bananas when he senses one so that might keep them away. 

As for cats and foxes, i once saw a small one running up Denmark Hill for dear life mid-morning because it was being chased by a cat

Edited December 22, 2025 by civilservant

[Ryelander]

Never had aggression from foxes when seeing them quite close when out and about, maybe some become more cheeky if regularly fed by humans?

[CPR Dave]

There's definitely someone feeding the foxes in crystal palace road. 

It's not natural and quite dangerous, but some people can't help feed mangy wild vermin.

[Spartacus]

Let me get this right 

Shady fox follows two people at close quarters, doesn't bite anyone and the threads called "Bitey Fox" 

Hmmmmm🤔

[Angelina]

You can get free treatment for mange from National Fox Welfare Society.

If anyone’s feeding a fox with mange, just add a couple of drops of meds

[Babbit]

1 hour ago, Spartacus said:

Let me get this right 

Shady fox follows two people at close quarters, doesn't bite anyone and the threads called "Bitey Fox" 

Hmmmmm🤔

It’s called bitey fox because it tried to bite me u jobsworth.

[Spartacus]

1 hour ago, Babbit said:

It’s called bitey fox because it tried to bite me u jobsworth.

Quote "it was quite clear that it wanted to nip me." Doesn't say clearly that it tried to bite you , but instead implies that you had the impression, right or wrong that it wanted to nip you. 

unless you are clear others will read it how you write it. 

As for being a jobsworth, what a quaint old expression, haven't heard that for a long while. 

[Angelina]

How do you know what the fox wanted to do if it didn’t do it. 

[Babbit]

1 hour ago, Angelina said:

How do you know what the fox wanted to do if it didn’t do it. 

Because it opened its jaws and went to lurch at me, sorry if I didn’t explain that sufficiently. 

[Angelina]

If the fox wanted to attack you it would have. Sounds like it was chasing you off

[malumbu]

From memory foxes only became a regular sight in the 90s, the attached article says they first appeared in the 30s becoming far more common in the 80s.  Apparently, whilst we think that urban foxes live longer than rural due to their 'easy' life few will make it over the age of two.  In towns they are far more crowded than their natural habitat where they are more territorial.

I've never seen foxes and cats fighting but once saw two cats squaring up to each other and a watching fox went up and butted its head against one of the cats.  There's a video on youtube of a cat and fox facing off when the cat is eating outside, but it wont let me embed on this post.  Get too close and I'll scratch you.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/15/urban-foxes-are-they-fantastic-or-a-growing-menace

My main issue is leaving things out like gardening gloves and they go or are shredded.  One stole a bag of bird food in front of me, took it next door, shredded the bag and then left it.  

[Jenijenjen]

They've left all kinds of things in my garden including gardening gloves and shoes, not to mention scavenged food and packaging. Once they left an unopened vacuum pack of smoked trout, the next day some pita bread. All a bit biblical.