Key Points
- Blakeley Bermingham, 43, and housemate Josh Smith found an injured fox in their Hackney garden in October 2024.
- The fox, later named Meatball, was shivering, bleeding and suffering from mange when first spotted.
- With advice from the Fox Angels Foundation charity, they fed her turkey mince meatballs mixed with medicine.
- Meatball’s recovery story was shared on TikTok and Instagram in September 2025 and attracted almost seven million views.
- During recovery Meatball became pregnant, but her cubs did not survive due to her poor health.bbc
- Over the following year she grew more comfortable, entering the house and watching TV through glass.
- Bermingham said there are an estimated 10,000 urban foxes in London and up to 80% of cubs die before adulthood, often in road accidents.
- She argued that because humans have “ruined” foxes’ environments, people have a responsibility to help them when in trouble.
Hackney (East London Times) July 9, 2026 –Blakeley Bermingham, 43, first spotted an injured fox in her garden in October 2024, shivering and bleeding, with bald patches on its tail and signs of mange, as reported by the BBC’s London coverage of the story.
After speaking to her local vet, she contacted the Fox Angels Foundation, a charity that rescues and treats injured foxes, and began leaving turkey mince meatballs mixed with medicine for the fox, later naming her Meatball, according to the same report.
“We couldn’t just leave a creature in that state, it was awful,”
Bermingham told the BBC, describing the moment she and housemate Josh Smith decided to intervene.
Mange is a common issue for foxes, especially during winter, with many foxes dying or being left with serious injuries such as blindness, the BBC noted in its background to the case.
In September 2025, Bermingham and Smith shared Meatball’s story on TikTok and Instagram, where it garnered almost seven million views, the BBC reported. With the help of Fox Angels, Meatball gradually recovered and has since returned regularly to Bermingham’s garden, the broadcaster added.
During her recovery, Meatball became pregnant but, due to her ill health, her cubs did not survive, the BBC said.
Over the next year, Meatball became more comfortable and lively, often watching the TV through the glass, walking into Bermingham’s house, and playing in her garden, according to the same report.
“Fox Angels were so quick to give advice and send medicine, I’m really grateful for them,”
Bermingham told the BBC.
There are an estimated 10,000 urban foxes living in London, but up to 80% of cubs die before reaching adulthood, often due to road accidents, the BBC reported, citing wider context on urban fox populations.
“We’ve ruined their environments,” Bermingham said, as quoted by the BBC.
“For better or worse, [foxes] are having to live with us, so it is our job to take care of them when we see them in trouble,”
she added.
The story was also covered by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, which described how Bermingham and Smith found the fox in their Hackney garden in October 2024, trembling, bleeding and with bald patches and signs of mange, and how they began leaving turkey mince meatballs laced with medicine on the advice of Fox Angels. Corriere quoted Bermingham telling the BBC:
“We couldn’t leave a creature in that state, it was horrible,”
and highlighted her gratitude to the charity for rapid advice and medication.
The Fox Angels Foundation, a volunteer-run organisation dedicated to helping injured and ill foxes in the UK, provides a sanctuary for wild foxes unsuitable for release and spreads awareness of fox welfare, according to its website.
The charity is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under number 1183633, with objects including relieving the suffering of foxes and providing facilities for their care and rehabilitation.register-of-charities.
How did Meatball’s condition improve over time?
As reported by the BBC, Meatball’s condition improved gradually after Bermingham and Smith began leaving medicated meatballs in their garden, following guidance from the Fox Angels Foundation.
The fox, initially shivering and bleeding with visible signs of mange, grew stronger over weeks and months of treatment and regular feeding.
Corriere della Sera noted that, thanks to the charity’s advice, the couple’s routine of leaving “polpette” (meatballs) of minced turkey mixed with medicine helped the animal regain strength and return repeatedly to the garden.
Over time, Meatball became increasingly comfortable around the property, to the point of entering the house and watching television through the glass, the BBC reported.
The BBC also recorded that, during her recovery, Meatball became pregnant but her cubs did not survive because of her poor health.
Despite this, the fox continued to visit the garden and interact with her surroundings, displaying more lively behaviour as her health improved.
What do the rescuers say about urban foxes in London?
Bermingham told the BBC that there are an estimated 10,000 urban foxes living in London, but up to 80% of cubs die before reaching adulthood, often as a result of road accidents. She linked this high mortality rate to human impact on the natural environment, stating:
“We’ve ruined their environments.”
“For better or worse, [foxes] are having to live with us, so it is our job to take care of them when we see them in trouble,”
Bermingham said, according to the BBC and Corriere della Sera.
Her comments framed the rescue not just as an isolated act of kindness, but as part of a wider responsibility owed by urban residents to wildlife forced to adapt to city life.
The Fox Angels Foundation’s mission, as set out on its website and in its Charity Commission registration, is to relieve the suffering of foxes and other animals in need, and to provide refuges or hospitals for sick or ill‑treated foxes until they can be released, transferred to a sanctuary, or rehomed if domesticated.register-of-charities.
Background to the development
Urban foxes have been a feature of London life for decades, with red foxes adapting to city environments and relying on gardens, parks and waste for food and shelter. Charities such as the Fox Angels Foundation have emerged to support members of the public who encounter injured or sick foxes, offering advice on feeding, medication and when to seek veterinary help.register-of-charities.
The BBC’s coverage of Meatball’s story highlighted both the scale of the urban fox population in London and the high mortality rate among cubs, particularly due to road traffic.
Reports of individual rescues, such as a fox trapped in a fence in Leyton and treated at an Essex wildlife hospital with Fox Angels’ assistance, show that such incidents are not isolated, according to separate BBC reporting on another east London fox rescue.
.meatball’s case sits within this wider pattern of urban foxes coming into close contact with humans, sometimes requiring intervention to survive injuries or disease such as mange.
The viral spread of the story on TikTok and Instagram reflects public interest in wildlife rehabilitation and the unusual bonds that can form between people and wild animals in cities.
Prediction: how could this development affect local residents and wildlife supporters?
The widespread attention given to Meatball’s rescue is likely to increase awareness among Hackney residents and other Londoners about the presence of urban foxes and the challenges they face, particularly mange and road accidents.
As more people encounter similar stories online, they may be more inclined to contact organisations like the Fox Angels Foundation when they find injured foxes, rather than ignoring them or attempting unadvised interventions.register-of-charities.
For local councils and wildlife charities, the heightened visibility of such cases could lead to more enquiries about fox welfare, potentially increasing demand for advice lines, medication schemes and rescue capacity.
If the narrative that humans share responsibility for urban foxes gains traction, it could also encourage more humane attitudes towards foxes in residential areas, reducing calls for culling and increasing support for coexistence measures.register-of-charities.
For animal welfare groups, the Meatball story offers a template for using social media to publicise individual cases and illustrate broader issues affecting urban wildlife, which may help with fundraising and volunteer recruitment.
However, it may also raise expectations among the public that every injured fox can be rehabilitated and form a close bond with humans, despite the reality that many will need professional handling and release where possible.reddit+1youtuberegister-of-charities.
Overall, the development is likely to deepen public engagement with urban fox welfare in east London and beyond, while prompting practical questions about how residents, charities and authorities can best manage the growing interface between people and wildlife in the capital.
