Two white fox cubs have been rescued by the RSPCA after they became stranded in bad weather in a back garden at Belvedere.
One of the cubs had collapsed in the cold when the householder contacted the animal charity and RSPCA Inspector Rosie Russon attended at the property in Upper Sheridan Road on April 21.
In normal circumstances anyone finding fox cubs alone is advised to monitor the young foxes from a distance to see if their parents return to find them. But in this case the inspector needed to take immediate action because the cub was in poor health.
Rosie freed the other cub who was wedged in a cavity between an outside brick wall and then took the cubs, who are both around five weeks old, to the Kent-based Fox Project whose wildlife hospital offers specialist care for foxes and fox cubs.
Rosie said: “One of the cubs had collapsed on the patio and I didn’t hold out much hope, but once I got them both into my van the unwell cub warmed up. The best course of action to take if people find fox cubs that appear orphaned is to wait to see if the parents/mother returns to collect them. The household had put out some food for them, but did the right thing by contacting the RSPCA because of the health of one of the cubs.
“It is that time of year when people are likely to see fox cubs out of their dens. The weather is up and down and these two were caught in torrential rain over Easter and couldn’t find their way back home. I briefly looked around for the den but getting specialist care for the unwell cub took priority.
“If people come across similar situations with injured fox cubs then it is best they do not handle or transport fox cubs as they can become aggressive when stressed or injured.”
If anyone finds a fox cub that is injured, sick or in immediate danger or has their eyes closed then call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999. There is more information about fox cubs at the RSPCA website.
The two cubs are not albino foxes – which are very rarely sighted in the UK – but are light coloured due to a genetic mutation which affects pigment production. They are considered unusual but they are not as rare as albino foxes.
When they have fully recovered from their ordeal, the Fox Project will release the cubs back into the wild near to the location they were rescued from.
