Rescue
As if our beautiful red foxes don't have enough to contend with, this frail and fragile vixen had the added trauma of being shot three times.
After this vixen was spotted unsteady on her feet in Chessington, a kind member of the public took the brave action of catching the fox themselves. Incredibly doing so successfully, the vixen was then transferred into our care, where amongst her poor condition, she was found to also have three pellets in her body.
Rehabilitation
That's three times she felt the searing pain of a pellet piercing her body. Hit in her head, neck and side, we cannot fathom what would possess anyone to want to hurt an animal that already has hunger, disease and competition to deal with.
Incredibly, this vixen was resilient, and vet and vet nurse, Judith and Kayleigh, were able to successfully remove all three bullets, safely. As she continued her recovery, the vixen was also treated for a low body condition score, as well as mange.
Release
Whilst it may not be illegal to shoot a fox, it is illegal to cause undue suffering to any animal, and that is exactly what this fox has been put through since the pellets hit her.
In an ideal scenario, our patients would come from safe, natural environments, far from the hustle and bustle of human activity, making their return to the wild more comforting, for us at least. Despite this, these areas are their homes where they are familiar with finding shelter, food, and understanding their territorial boundaries with others, so to release them anywhere but their home has the potential for a disastrous result.
See this vixen's release in the video below.
