Tracking in the city: foxes, martens, hedgehogs and more

Cities offer wild animals a lot: food from waste, compost heaps and gardens, warmth and plenty of hiding places under sheds, in hedges, in attics or on wasteland. What is missing is undisturbed space. That is why most urban animals are active at night, when it is quiet, and move along fixed routes.

Such routes like to follow railway embankments, green strips, streams and canals, through allotments and under fences. Animals use the same gaps and passages again and again. If you find these “animal roads”, you will find their tracks too.

Smooth urban surfaces such as paving and tarmac hold tracks poorly. Well suited, by contrast, are dust on cars and bin lids, snow, dew, hoar frost and mud, for example at building sites or puddles. The best time is early morning after new snow, dew or rain, before people and cars destroy the tracks.

Besides prints there are many other signs: droppings on raised spots such as walls, stones or grass tussocks, torn rubbish bags, small holes dug in the lawn, scratch marks on trees or worn paths through hedges. Record such finds with location, date and photo and compare them later with a field guide.

The most common confusion in the city is domestic cats and dogs – they leave the most tracks there. A dog print can resemble a fox print, and cat tracks turn up almost everywhere. So be careful with quick conclusions and look at the overall picture of print, trail, location and other signs.

For watching the animals themselves, a window at dusk or a wildlife camera in your own garden works well. Point the camera so that it captures neither neighbouring properties nor pavements or public areas. Privacy rules differ from country to country – check them locally.

Feeding is the biggest mistake when dealing with urban wildlife. Fed animals lose their fear of people, become pushy, rummage through gardens and patios and can get into conflicts that often end fatally for them. Some cities expressly prohibit feeding certain species – check local rules.

Distance is especially important with wild boar and animals with young. Always leave them an escape route and do not corner them, for example in a courtyard or doorway. If there is danger, go indoors and contact the police or authority.

Report injured or unusually tame animals to the local wildlife rescue or authority instead of catching them yourself. An animal wandering around in broad daylight without any shyness may be ill – keep your distance and ask experts.

A garden can help animals and avoid trouble at the same time. Closing bins, not leaving pet food outside overnight and collecting fallen fruit removes the attraction for foxes, raccoons and rats. Small gaps at the bottom of the fence let hedgehogs move between gardens, because they need more than a single garden for their nightly foraging.

Robotic mowers should not run at night, because hedgehogs and other small animals are out then and can be injured by the machines. Cover pits, shafts and light wells by the house so that no animals fall in. Garden ponds with a shallow edge or an exit ramp prevent animals from drowning.

A lovely family idea is a track map of your own neighbourhood. Draw a simple plan with streets, gardens and green spaces, and after each snowfall or on dewy mornings mark where you found which tracks. Over time you will recognise the animals' routes.

Important: tracks are read, animals are not pursued. Anyone who runs after a fox disturbs it and can put it in a dangerous situation. The excitement lies in the puzzle – who was here last night, and where did it go?