Latest news with #foxcub
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Rescued fox 'coated in bitumen and stuck to road'
South Essex Wildlife Hospital A wildlife hospital says treating a fox cub that got stuck in a container of bitumen and then to a road surface was one of its most horrific cases ever. South Essex Wildlife Hospital was called out to find the fox covered in black gloop on an industrial estate in north-east London on Thursday. It said that after hearing screeching, workers were able to locate the noise and free the three-month old cub from the container, but it then got stuck to the road. The hospital hoped to be able to free the animal this week so that it would have a chance of reuniting with its mother, who was seen trying to rescue her cub. Bitumen is made from crude oil and is mostly used as a binder in roads and the hospital called it "one of the most horrific cases we've seen in the 35+ years of wildlife rescue". Lawrie Brailey, operations manager at the hospital, said the team arrived at the site near Lea Bridge and Hackney Marshes at about 19:00 BST. Workers had looked up what to do online, and started using baby oil to try to free the fox while waiting for the professionals to arrive. South Essex Wildlife Hospital South Essex Wildlife Hospital It then took a rescuer and vet more than 30 minutes to free each limb from the road before the fox could be taken away. Baby oil and WD-40 was used to soften and dissolve the tar-like substance, however the hospital said its coat was so matted in some places that the fur had to be cut off. Mr Brailey said: "There is minor staining to the fur... [but] now he looks like a fox, with a couple of patches missing." However, the cub was being monitored for any toxicity effects. "He seems to be fine and is now eating, urinating and defecating," said Mr Brailey. The fox, while mobile, does have some damage to one of his legs and the team said it would work to start fixing it this week. The clean-up has taken more than 30 bottles of baby oil, and the hospital manager said he was just "glad" to free the stricken animal. "We see a lot of injury, death… When you go to something like that and look at that animal.. you're then left wondering what you can do, and the problem is there's not much information on what we do; it's a lot of trial and error," he said. At the incident, Mr Brailey said the cub's mother had tried to "scruff him" and "pick him up off the middle of the car park". The hospital said it did not know if the cub could be reunited with its mother, which they believed would have to take place within a week or there was a chance of rejection. If that was not possible, it would spend time with the other cubs they were treating in Essex and then be released when it was ready. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fox cub freed from drainpipe firmly stuck on head
A fox cub found itself in a tight spot after getting its head firmly stuck in a discarded drainpipe. The animal was taken to a veterinary surgery in Leicester Forest East, in Leicestershire, on Thursday after being found nearby. Staff from Bell Brown & Bentley Veterinary Surgeons said the cub had "clearly been struggling for some time" before it was rescued. They were able to carefully loosen the pipe from the fox. In a post on Facebook, the surgery said: "We welcomed a very unusual and very lucky patient - a young fox cub with a drainpipe stuck firmly on its head. "It had clearly been struggling for some time before being rescued." The surgery added: "This is a powerful reminder of how dangerous everyday litter can be for wildlife. "Pipes, jars, cans, and plastic rings might seem harmless but they can trap, injure, or even kill curious animals." Staff said the fox was safe after being freed and they hoped it would be released back into the wild. Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Fox cub rescued from storm drain reunited with mum Fox rescued from flood of oil in derelict building
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fox cub freed from drainpipe firmly stuck on head
A fox cub found itself in a tight spot after getting its head firmly stuck in a discarded drainpipe. The animal was taken to a veterinary surgery in Leicester Forest East, in Leicestershire, on Thursday after being found nearby. Staff from Bell Brown & Bentley Veterinary Surgeons said the cub had "clearly been struggling for some time" before it was rescued. They were able to carefully loosen the pipe from the fox. In a post on Facebook, the surgery said: "We welcomed a very unusual and very lucky patient - a young fox cub with a drainpipe stuck firmly on its head. "It had clearly been struggling for some time before being rescued." The surgery added: "This is a powerful reminder of how dangerous everyday litter can be for wildlife. "Pipes, jars, cans, and plastic rings might seem harmless but they can trap, injure, or even kill curious animals." Staff said the fox was safe after being freed and they hoped it would be released back into the wild. Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Fox cub rescued from storm drain reunited with mum Fox rescued from flood of oil in derelict building
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Leicestershire vets free fox cub from drainpipe stuck on head
A fox cub found itself in a tight spot after getting its head firmly stuck in a discarded animal was taken to a veterinary surgery in Leicester Forest East, in Leicestershire, on Thursday after being found from Bell Brown & Bentley Veterinary Surgeons said the cub had "clearly been struggling for some time" before it was were able to carefully loosen the pipe from the fox. In a post on Facebook, the surgery said: "We welcomed a very unusual and very lucky patient - a young fox cub with a drainpipe stuck firmly on its head. "It had clearly been struggling for some time before being rescued." The surgery added: "This is a powerful reminder of how dangerous everyday litter can be for wildlife."Pipes, jars, cans, and plastic rings might seem harmless but they can trap, injure, or even kill curious animals."Staff said the fox was safe after being freed and they hoped it would be released back into the wild.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Moment fox cub trapped in storm drain is reunited with his mum
A fox cub trapped in a storm drain for three days has been reunited with his mother. He was spotted deep in the drain in Glenfield, Leicester, by residents Michaela and Andrew Firstbrook, who tried to free him themselves, but their efforts were in then called in the RSPCA, which asked for help from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, and the cub was rescued and kept outside in a pet Inspector Beckie Harlock said: "So we left the little cub in the carrier, which we placed in a safe place, covered over, hoping mum would hear him call for her. Our plan worked." The couple watched their pet cameras in the hope the cub's mum would she did, Michaela says she rushed into the garden to open the cage and reunite the pair. Andrew told the BBC it all began when they heard a barking noise about three days earlier and assumed it was a neighbour's new realised the sound was coming from a drain on her way back from work on Monday. Her father used a pickaxe to lift the drain cover, revealing the cub was stuck about 1.8 metres (6ft) below ground level."We tried to flush it out," Andrew said. "I got a piece of wood and nailed some carpet to it and we put some ham on a piece of string. "It turns out the drain is quite deep and large with a number of connected tunnels and we could hear the fox going up and down the different tubes. "It then took the ham, but it didn't come out, so Michaela phoned the RSPCA." Andrew added: "They came out and called South Leicestershire Fire and Rescue, and they were out there for about two or three hours, pulling up all the manholes and it was going up and down the tunnels. "Eventually, they managed to use towels to block off the tunnels and drain rods to coax the fox in the right direction, before one of the firefighters, who was in one of the manholes, managed to catch it in a cage."Ms Harlock said: "This was such a perfect result. At this time of the year, reports about young foxes getting themselves in a pickle tend to rocket. "At that age, they're very curious about the world but unaware of the dangers." Watch manager Stephen Willatt said: "We're very glad to hear the cub and its mother have been reunited."If you find an animal in distress please contact the appropriate animal welfare organisation, and do not endanger yourself in trying to rescue it."
