Fox pop is a Dublin focused citizen science project that aims to gather information on urban foxes through the use of social media.

Project coordinator John Holden is asking people to email, tweet or Facebook their fox sighting with their name, email address, location and a photo if possible.

A dedicated website has been set up along with Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The purpose of the study is to ascertain and record where there are large numbers of foxes living in and around Dublin’s city centre.

The data will be accumulated and analysed to see how willing the public are to get involved in a citizen science project and measure the public’s opinion on the growing number of foxes in our towns and cities.

The urban fox is a controversial character. Some urban dwellers consider them wildlife and gladly leave out food and allow them to live in their gardens or parks.

Others, however, see them as vermin and a threat to human health, particularly after the recent tragedy in London when an infant’s finger was bitten off by an urban fox that entered the kitchen of someone’s home.

Fox pop intends to determine how the urban fox has become so comfortable in the city environment and how foxes are becoming more fearless of encountering humans and entering their homes.

If you would like to take part you can visit www.foxpop.info, like their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.