What Are Foxes Doing in Tehran's Streets? / Veterinarian's Claims on the Role of the Municipality

The increasing presence of foxes in Tehran's residential areas is an issue that Payam Mohebbi, head of the Iranian Veterinary Association and founder of the applied science university at Tehran Veterinary Hospital, links to the removal of stray dogs from urban areas. According to him, this measure may have paved the way for foxes to move from the outskirts into the city.

The increase in the presence of foxes in the residential areas of Tehran is an issue that Payam Mohebi, the head of the Iranian Veterinary Society and the founder of the Tehran Veterinary Hospital's Scientific and Applied University, considers it related to the removal of dogs from urban areas. According to him, this action could have provided the ground for foxes to enter the city from the outskirts.

According to Ambassador Arjan's report, on Sunday, October 19, Mohebi criticized the municipality's approach to removing dogs from urban areas and said: "The municipality has come to clean the center of the cities from dogs, and the dogs are going to the suburbs."

Referring to the relationship between the presence of dogs and the behavior of foxes, he explained that as dogs move away from urban areas, foxes who avoid encountering these animals have more opportunities to enter residential areas.

Referring to the difference in the behavior of these two animals, this veterinarian added that foxes have a greater ability to hide from humans, and for this reason, their presence in urban environments may be less noticeable. He said: "The dog is removed, the fox remains."

Mohebi also pointed to the change in the presence of animals in the streets of Tehran and stated that in the past many dogs were seen in the city, but now, according to him, foxes have taken their place in some areas.

In another part of his speech, the head of the Iranian Veterinary Society warned about the risk of rabies transmission from foxes to other animals and listed these animals as reservoirs of the disease.

According to Mohebi, the presence of foxes in residential areas can be important from the point of view of animal health. Especially if infected animals come into contact with pets or other mammals.

He also pointed to the difference in the lifespan of dogs and foxes after contracting rabies, and claimed that foxes can play a role in the disease transmission cycle for a longer period of time.

However, assessing the risk of rabies in Tehran requires information about the status of the disease in wildlife, recorded cases of the disease, and the results of veterinary monitoring. Therefore, the statements made about the increase in the presence of foxes and its connection with the removal of dogs should be considered as the point of view of this veterinarian; Not a result that alone proves the cause and effect relationship between these two phenomena.