Latest news with #foxcub
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Fox 'coated in bitumen' walks after four weeks at Essex hospital
A fox cub that got covered in bitumen and then stuck to a road surface is healthy and walking again after four weeks of from South Essex Wildlife Hospital rushed to the rescue after the cub was pulled from a container of bitumen by workers on an industrial estate in north-east London last took more than 30 minutes to free each of the cub's legs after it stuck fast to the of his legs required surgery, but the hospital said the fox was now running around with no sign of a limp, and they were hoping for a full recovery soon. Bitumen is made from crude oil and is mostly used as a binder in the time of the rescue, the hospital said the fox's plight was "one of the most horrific cases we've seen in the 35-plus years of wildlife rescue".It took several days and many bottles of baby oil and WD-40 to clean the tar-like substance from its fur. However, after a great deal of care and an operation, the hospital posted on its Facebook page and said the fox was on the mend."It's been four weeks since the surgery to fix his leg (after all the work needed to remove the bitumen from his fur) and we're delighted to say that everything seems to be healing perfectly," it wrote."He is now so confident on the leg that he can run around his pen without any sign of a limp."They added that while it had taken a lot of work to nurse him back to health, "he now has a bright future ahead of him". "He still needs to recover from some muscle loss, but we are very confident that he will be 100% fixed very soon," they the cub is deemed ready, it will be released back into the wild. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
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.
