It's been reported that foxes have taken up residence in Google's new headquarters in London and are even digging burrows
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Google is building a new headquarters building next to King's Cross Station , a major terminal station in London, England. It has been reported that wild foxes have taken up residence in the modern building that will be in use for decades to come.
Why do London's Lime bikes beep - by Jim Waterson
https://www.londoncentric.media/p/why-lime-bikes-beep
Google battling 'fox infestation' on roof of £1bn London office | London | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jun/09/google-foxes-roof-london-kings-cross-office
In 2017, Google's UK subsidiary submitted plans to build a new UK headquarters building on a proposed site adjacent to King's Cross Station. The new headquarters building will be 11 stories tall, with a maximum height of 72m and a maximum length of 330m. Its long horizontal shape has led to it being nicknamed a 'landscraper.'
Here's a rendering of the new UK headquarters. It's expected to house up to 7,000 employees and will have a pool, exercise room, basketball court and other facilities. The rooftop will also feature a 300m-long rooftop garden, with an estimated 40,000 tons of soil brought in to plant 250 trees. The rooftop garden is designed to be a habitat for bees, bats, birds and butterflies.
Google's new UK headquarters is still under construction at the time of writing and is expected to be completed by 2025.
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However, Jim Waterson, a reporter for London Centric, a web magazine that reports on London, reported in an article dated June 9, 2025 that 'foxes have taken up residence in Google's new UK headquarters, which is currently under construction.'
A reader told London Centric: 'Contractors working on the final construction of the new Google building in Kings Cross are being plagued by a pack of foxes. They got into the building in the early stages when it was still easy to access, and have now taken up residence on the top floor, which is like a little park.'
It is said that there are about 10,000 foxes living in London, and in 2011 it was reported that a fox had taken up residence on the 72nd floor of The Shard , a skyscraper that was under construction at the time.
After Waterson published this article, a Google spokesperson contacted us, confirming that the new UK headquarters, which is currently under construction, had been invaded by foxes. The spokesperson said, 'Fox sightings on construction sites are relatively common, and our Kings Cross development is no exception. While foxes have been seen on site from time to time, their presence is brief and has little impact on the ongoing construction work.'
by Torsten Reimer
The Guardian also reported on the incident, with a source saying the foxes' incursions into the new UK headquarters building had been ongoing for three years, and that they had begun digging dens in the manicured grounds. 'There's a small hole in the garden where one of the foxes lives. We've seen the foxes all over the building. One minute they're on the fifth floor, the next they're on the ground in the garden. No one has been able to catch them,' the source said. Others have also reported seeing fox droppings on the grounds.
Moshe Latifi, co-director of the London-based pest control company EcoCare , said foxes may be feeding on rats. 'Foxes thrive very well on rodents,' he said, pointing out that London has a huge number of rats to feed on.
Another pest-control expert, who asked not to be named, said leaking water pipes and rubbish from nearby restaurants could also be helping to attract foxes. 'London is a big playground for foxes, they'll go anywhere,' he told The Guardian.
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