Google’s highly anticipated new office building in London, set to open later this year, is designed to accommodate up to 7,000 employees. However, it appears some uninvited guests, specifically foxes, have already made themselves at home on the expansive 300-meter-long rooftop garden. This unexpected wildlife occupation has reportedly been an ongoing issue for the past three years, as highlighted in a Guardian report (via London Centric).
The vast rooftop area, meticulously planted with wildflowers and woodland plants, is intended as a serene space for Google employees to relax, dine, or perhaps cultivate their next innovative idea for the tech giant. However, the presence of these roaming foxes could render this lush garden off-limits.
In a statement to London Centric, Google acknowledged the situation: “Fox sightings at construction sites are pretty common, and our King’s Cross development is no exception. While foxes have been occasionally spotted at the site, their appearances have been brief and have had minimal impact on the ongoing construction.” Despite this, reports suggest the four-legged inhabitants have been digging burrows within the carefully landscaped grounds, and individuals associated with the site have noticed fox droppings.
While London is known for its urban fox population, the method by which these animals accessed the roof of the 11-story building, which has been under construction since 2018, remains a mystery. The building, a collaborative design by Thomas Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group, features the garden as a central element. This shared space is intended to be a haven not only for Google’s workforce but also for local wildlife such as bees, bats, birds, and butterflies—explicitly not including foxes.
With the building’s opening scheduled before the end of the year, there is still a window of opportunity to clear the garden of these tenacious animals. However, given that foxes are notoriously resourceful and highly adaptable, their removal may prove to be a more significant challenge than initially anticipated.
