'Inseparable' fox cubs rescued in West Sussex will be released into the wild together

Fox cub Germaine arrived at Sompting Wildlife Rescue (SWR) after being found ‘collapsed, severely dehydrated and barely responsive’ in April.

The charity said it was initially unclear if he would recover, requiring syringe feeding and ‘a lot of nursing care and time’.

However, he defied the odds, managing to eat by himself just days later. A week later, he was able to stand.

An SWR spokesperson said: “After just over a month with us, and with his treatment completed and his condition so much improved, we started looking for somewhere suitable for the next stage of his rehabilitation and, hopefully, eventual release.

"Unfortunately, we're unable to release foxes from our own site because of the limitations of the land around us. And of course, by then fox cub season was in full swing.

“Most of the larger rehabilitation centres were already full. Our coordinator at Help and Advice for Worthing Wildlife (HAWW) contacted various places we'd worked with previously, but everyone was facing the same problem: no space. So Germaine stayed with us while we kept looking.”

As the search continued, another fox cub – later named Alfred – was found alone on Shoreham Beach ‘screaming’ for his mum during a thunderstorm.

SWR added: “Initially, the advice was to watch from a distance for a while to see whether a parent returned. But as the rain became heavier and Alfred increasingly distressed, it was clear he couldn't safely be left there and he was brought to us for care.

“Our volunteers returned the following day and scoured the surrounding area, looking for any sign of a den or other cubs. Unfortunately, nothing could be found, and local residents weren't aware of a fox family nearby either.”

As staff were unable to locate Alfred’s mother, he was unable to be released immediately.

The young cub needed ‘plenty of support’ during his first few days at the rescue centre. After being dried off, treated for a flea infestation and left alone to decompress, he also began to eat and stand on his own.

Stronger now, Alfred was introduced to Germaine who was still waiting for a spot at another rehabilitation centre. The pair ‘bonded almost immediately’, according to SWR.

The charity was later able to find a temporary home for both foxes, so the pair will continue their journey together.

SWR added: “The pair became inseparable. They spent their days together playing, eating, exploring and, most importantly, simply being foxes.

“Alfred remained alongside Germaine until he was big and strong enough to move on to the final stage of his rehabilitation.

“The two cubs who had arrived with us under very different circumstances eventually left SWR together, heading to their new home for the final part of their rehabilitation before their eventual release back into the big wide world.”

SWR relies solely on donations to care for injured and orphaned wildlife across Sussex.

For more information about the charity, and to donate, visit: www.somptingwildliferescue.co.uk/.