Foxes Unearthed

Book excerpt: In Foxes Unearthed, Lucy Jones investigates the truth about foxes in a media landscape that often carries complex agendas, holding perceived wisdom and myths up to the microscope of modern science. There is a vivid story to be told, exploring the cultural history alongside the modern-day fables that we tell ourselves about this curious animal. Using extensive archival research to explore historical perceptions of the fox in folklore, literature and social history, Lucy also travels the length of Britain to find out first-hand why the animal is so ambiguously perceived in modern society: one family might feed the foxes in their backyard while another might pay to have them shot. This beautifully designed, compelling narrative adds a depth to the often contentious debate on foxes, asking what the British attitudes towards the Red Fox say about us - and, ultimately, our wider relationship with the natural world.