VIDEO: Fox rescued from fencing

Rescuers from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) rushed to the aid of a fox caught in stock fencing in Ardingly on Monday (January 23).
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Jan 2017, 15:52 BST
Updated 23rd Jan 2017, 16:58 BST
The fox may have been stuck for more than 12 hours. Picture: East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service SUS-170123-164837001The fox may have been stuck for more than 12 hours. Picture: East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service SUS-170123-164837001
The fox may have been stuck for more than 12 hours. Picture: East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service SUS-170123-164837001

The fox was believed to have been hanging by its back leg for at least 12 hours before being set free by the rescue team.

Trevor Weeks MBE, founder of East Sussex WRAS, said “The caller did exactly the right thing in leaving the fox caught. Many people rush out and think it is simply a case of cutting them free and releasing them when in fact that is actually the worst thing you can do.”

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The charity says it has dealt with over 25 cases of wild animals and birds being caught or entangled in everything from stock fencing to football goal netting over the past month. On several occasions people have managed to cut the casualties free only for the injured animal to struggle off injured.

“When people cut wild animals free they can be sentencing the animal to die a slow and horrible death if the animal is capable to running off” added Trevor.

“This makes the job for us rescuers very difficult and more dangerous trying to catch a wild animal which is mobile and unpredictable.

“It is actually safer for the animal to be left caught as long as there is no immediate threat to its life as it’s not going to fall down an embankment and strangle itself and suffocate.”

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WRAS advise that if you find a casualty which is caught or entangled, back off call a rescue organisation as soon as possible.

East Sussex WRAS is an award winning charity run entirely on donations, and anyone wanting to help support the work of the charity can do so by visiting their website www.wildlifeambulance.org.

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