The building, which is still under construction, has been nicknamed the “landscraper.”
Foxes sneaking into Google’s massive new U.K. headquarters — the soon-to-be-completed “landscraper” in King’s Cross — may sound like something out of a modern fairy tale, but it’s just another day in London’s remarkable urban wildlife scene.
Despite the glass, steel, and heavy security surrounding the £1 billion construction project, the bushy-tailed creatures have made themselves at home. They’ve left behind signs of their presence — burrows and droppings — even on the building’s nearly 1,000-foot-long rooftop garden, according to Google and local accounts.
🦊 Foxes at Google HQ: What We Know
- Google’s new building: Nicknamed the “landscraper,” it’s 1,082 feet long, 11 stories tall, and designed by Thomas Heatherwick. It’s expected to house 7,000 employees.
- Foxes move in: Fox sightings have been confirmed, though brief, with one local store worker spotting one darting into the construction zone.
- Construction workers mostly stayed quiet, bound by NDAs, though one anonymously admitted it wouldn’t be surprising if a fox got inside.
- Fox numbers in London: Between 10,000 and 15,000 urban foxes live in the city — roughly 16 per square mile.
Why Foxes Fit Right In
London foxes are notoriously bold, often seen trotting down sidewalks or diving into bins. Their adaptability is legendary:
- In 2011, a fox named Romeo was found living in The Shard.
- Their numbers spike during cub season, reaching up to 400,000 nationwide.
- They’re protected under British wildlife laws, making relocation tricky and sometimes controversial.
Mixed Reactions
- Some residents try to befriend them; others see them as a menace. Even former PM Boris Johnson once described urban foxes as “a pest.”
- Urban legends — and real events — like the Croydon cat mutilations, later blamed on foxes, have fed fear and fascination alike.
- Pop culture immortalizes them as sly or endearing: from Beatrix Potter to Fantastic Mr. Fox to Fleabag’s unforgettable fox cameo.
Final Thought
That a fox could outmaneuver the security of a tech titan’s HQ speaks less to Google’s lapses and more to the fox’s resourcefulness. As Terry Woods from Fox-a-Gon put it:
“They are such an adaptable animal that they can survive almost anywhere and overcome great hardships.”
In the end, the foxes are just doing what foxes do best — thriving in the margins of modern life, whether it’s a bin-lined alley or a billion-dollar rooftop.