Ferdinand came to us as an imprinted youngster a few years back and is now a permanent resident at the Sanctuary. As much as we strive to release animals back to the wild sometimes it is just not possible and this was one of those cases.
A lovely lady was walking her dog when she found a fox laying next to a field.
She could see no movement so decided to investigate a bit closer. Sadly the little fox had just died but she could tell that it was a female as the fox was lactating. She quickly walked over to the nearby farm to see if the farmers knew where the fox den was and the lady was given a reply, although not a very polite one!
After a while, he agreed to tell her where the fox cub was as long as she “made it disappear” and so she did; she brought it home and hand-reared him. Sadly, as often happens when people with no experience try to save wildlife themselves instead of involving a rescue, this little fox became so used to humans and food on a plate that he was more of a dog than a wild animal.
Ferdinand spent the first year of his life with the lady but after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer Hallswood was contacted. When Lyz walked into the living room there she found a lovely fox sitting in the settee next to his dog pal watching Jeremy Kyle on tv!
If you find wildlife in need of help please always contact a local animal rescue. We have the experience, the facilities and the medication to give them the best chance of a full recovery and then release back to where they belong.
