Experiencing the wild
Red fox encounters are related to stronger nature connectedness, not anxiety, in people
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15326796 |
|---|---|
| Authors | F Blake Morton (0000-0002-8644-1557, University of Hull, corresponding author), Carl D Soulsbury (0000-0001-8808-5210, University of Lincoln) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-18 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Human Dimensions of Wildlife (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1087-1209 • E-ISSN: 1533-158X |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10871209.2025.2561719 |
| OpenAlex | W4414427910 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 74 |
Frequent and positive wildlife experiences can strengthen people’s physical and mental connection with nature, potentially improving public health and pro-environmental behaviors. Red foxes are the most widespread terrestrial carnivore on the planet and may, therefore, be an important gateway for people to connect with nature. However, it remains unclear how interactions with foxes might influence (positively or negatively) nature connectedness and health in people, such as general anxiety. We surveyed 230 people using an online questionnaire. Frequent, positive experiences were related to better attitudes and tolerance toward foxes, as well as broader nature connectedness. Nature connectedness was negatively related to urbanization but unrelated to age or education. General anxiety was inversely related to age, but unrelated to urbanization, education, frequency and quality of fox experiences, or the interaction between urbanization and fox experiences. These findings suggest a potential role of foxes in shaping people’s broader nature connectedness, particularly in cities
Nature tourism · Perception · Perspective (graphical · Wildlife conservation · Wildlife management · Animal and Plant Science Education · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Urban Green Space and Health
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |