Google’s £1 billion London office is under attack but not by hackers

Google

Google’s brand-new £1 billion London office is facing an unusual problem and no, it’s not cybercriminals or software bugs. This time, the trouble is coming from an entirely different kind of intruder.

Set in King’s Cross, Google’s sleek 11-storey “landscraper” is designed to be a modern marvel. With rooftop gardens, a running track, a swimming pool, and space for up to 7,000 employees, it was supposed to be a symbol of Google’s growing presence in the UK. But before the building has even officially opened, it’s already dealing with a persistent issue and it's got fur.

According to reports, foxes have made themselves quite at home in the lush rooftop garden, digging holes in the soil, leaving droppings, and using the site as their personal playground. As per a report by The Guardian, one particularly bold fox has been seen wandering across different levels of the building, popping up unexpectedly, on the fifth floor one minute, the garden the next.

While Google has downplayed the impact, calling it “minimal,” people familiar with the site say the issue has been ongoing for around three years. Some even say there’s a fox living in a burrow on the property. Pest control experts say it’s not surprising. Foxes are common in London, and with the garden’s 250 trees, 40,000 tonnes of soil, and plenty of quiet corners, it’s an ideal hangout spot for the city’s urban wildlife.

Interestingly, Google’s rooftop garden was designed to attract birds, bees, butterflies but the arrival of foxes wasn’t exactly part of the plan. Still, this isn’t the first time animals have made their way onto major construction sites. Even London’s tallest building, The Shard, had to deal with a fox that snuck in during its construction in 2011.

The Google HQ is expected to be completed later this year. Whether the foxes will move out before then is still up in the air.