The Mail reports on rising numbers of encounters between foxes and pets or people in Britain as autumn's "dispersal season" sees young cubs strike out to establish their own territories. Charities and residents describe several distressing incidents, including a cat mauled to death in Surrey and a baby bitten on the head while sleeping in Watford, feeding public anxiety about foxes even though attacks on humans remain extremely rare.

Fox Project founder Trevor Williams estimates roughly 150,000 young cubs are currently dispersing and learning boundaries through trial and error, which can lead to occasional bites, though he stresses foxes are normally "terrified of cats and dogs" and that such incidents are not deliberate attacks. Cases cited include Jo Hudson's cat Paddy, apparently killed by a fox in Kingston, three-month-old Josephine Clarkson bitten in Watford, and older incidents involving a Lewisham baby, a Chihuahua in London and a Catford man bitten defending his cat. Despite the perception of a growing menace, the article notes Britain's fox population is actually about 43,000 lower than in 1996, with experts suggesting changed urban behaviour, not higher numbers, explains the increased visibility.