Spatial factors predict variation in reports of human-wildlife interactions but not public attitudes towards a widespread urban carnivore, the red fox

Despite growing recognition that spatial factors such as urbanisation and geographic region shape human-wildlife interactions, few studies have examined – on a large geographic scale – how spatial factors reflect the subjective human dimensions to those interactions, including public attitudes and self-reported encounters with wildlife. Understanding how spatial factors shape these dimensions may have implications for urban rewilding because they can reflect local tolerance of animals and may potentially predict human-wildlife interactions. We examined how urbanisation type and geographic region are related to people's attitudes, reported encounters (public feeding and bin-raiding), and reported use of control measures towards the world's most urbanised terrestrial carnivore, the red fox, Vulpes vulpes. Online survey data were obtained from 1275 participants in the United Kingdom. Reports of fox bin-raiding were associated with increased reports of wildlife feeding, more negative attitudes towards foxes, and greater reported use of professional and do-it-yourself control measures. However, the role of spatial factors varied among these relationships. Specifically, urbanisation and geographic region significantly predicted reports of fox bin-raiding, with urban residents – particularly from London – more likely to report such behaviour. Urbanisation predicted reports of wildlife feeding and use of professional pest control of foxes within their area. Geographic region predicted reports of do-it-yourself control measures. Neither urbanisation nor geographic region significantly predicted public attitudes towards foxes. Together, these findings highlight the complex interactions between spatial context and the subjective human dimensions of wildlife interactions, underscoring the importance of nuanced, context-specific strategies to support human-wildlife coexistence and urban rewilding initiatives.