Warning after four fox cubs in a month get stuck in old car wheels
Four fox cubs managed to get their heads stuck in old car wheels in the space of a single month, animal charities warned.
The cubs got into trouble, probably while looking for food in London, and ended up having to be rescued.
They poked their faces into the holes in the middle of the wheels and then got wedged inside.
The RSPCA, who set the animals free, have now warned people to store their old wheels carefully and check them regularly.
The three most recent rescues happened within a week of each other.
One happened at a car repair garage in Bethnal Green, east London, on May 10 and another in a neighbouring Newham garden on May 5.
Meanwhile, in a tricky rescue on May 9, firefighters helped to free a cub in Haringey, north London.
The fourth rescue of a fox cub was in Orpington, south east London, on April 22.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Nick Jonas said: ‘Young foxes are incredibly curious and we quite often get called out to deal with ones that have got themselves in a pickle.
‘But in my experience, it’s quite unusual to get four “head stuck in wheel” incidents in just one month.
‘They put their heads through the middle hole of a wheel, maybe searching for food, but then find to their dismay that their ears stop them from reversing out.
‘In situations like this, there’s no time to spare. They may have been trapped for several days without food or water, so need to be freed as soon as possible.
‘There’s a bit of a knack to freeing fox cubs when they get their heads caught, as it’s their ears that are the problem.
‘With both the recent incidents I attended, I found that gently easing the little foxes’ ears one-by-one back through the hole made it easy to free the animals.’
Many animals that become trapped or tangled can be seriously injured, so the RSPCA said it is best they are examined by experts to see if they need treatment.
Wild animals can scratch, kick and bite when frightened, particularly if they are injured so the public risk being hurt without proper help, the charity warned.
Mr Jonas added: ‘Thankfully, both appeared to be in good condition, despite their ordeal so I took them to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital where they will be rehabilitated until they are ready to be released back into the wild.
‘And I understand that the other two fox cubs my colleagues rescued from similar predicaments are happily also unscathed by their ordeal.
‘We’re asking the public to be extra vigilant if they keep wheels on their premises. Please store these items carefully and check them regularly, just in case another fox cub traps itself.’
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