The RSPCA has rescued a young fox stuck down a well at St Helier Hospital.
Springwatch: this is the time of year when fox cubs start exploring their environment – including your back garden
And the animal charity has issued some potentially life-saving advice to all Londoners about everyday equipment kept in many gardens which can pose a deadly threat to local wildlife.
A fox cub was discovered by a member of the nursing team at St Helier Hospital on Wrythe Lane, Sutton, who found it at the bottom of a deep drainage well.
The fox was trapped six feet below ground, and it needed RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Yalina Blumer to use a ladder to reach the stricken animal.
The cub was suffering from dehydration and while it was first feared he may have broken a leg, a check-up at Wildlife Aid in Leatherhead showed the cub had had a lucky escape. After being given a clean bill of health, he was released into woodland near to the hospital site.
Six feet under: the young fox was frightened and dehydrated when discovered in a litter-strewn well at St Helier Hospital, but had no serious injuries
“The young fox was bright and alert, but he had pale gums and I was unsure how long he had been trapped, so it was important he was checked out,” Blumer said. “After the vets at the rescue deemed him fit enough I went back to the hospital and I released him into the woodland backing onto the hospital, where staff said it is known there are dens.”
“The RSPCA is getting lots of call outs involving young foxes at the moment and we do advise people who come across stranded cubs to first monitor them for a time if they are not injured as their parents could be nearby. In this case, given the depth of the well, there was no way the cub could have got itself out so it was the right call to contact us.”
If people find fox cubs in predicaments like this they should phone the RSPCA on the emergency line number 0300 1234 999. If the cubs are not injured or trapped, it is best to monitor them for 24 hours in case their mother returns, which is the best chance for their survival. Do not attempt handling a cub, as they can become aggressive if they are stressed.
The St Helier cub had a lucky escape, but the RSPCA is concerned that other foxes are less fortunate if they get tangled in the netting of football goals which are kept in many people’s gardens.
“People in London can help save animals’ lives by putting away their back garden football nets after use,” the RSPCA has said in its latest appeal.
In 2024, the charity received 1,355 reports of animals getting entangled in all types of netting. Almost half of these calls (586) came between May and July, the time of year when young fox cubs are first venturing out from their dens. Latest RSPCA figures showed 47 fox cubs caught in netting in May this year.
Do your bit: all kinds of wildlife, and people’s pets, can get caught up in netting
Netting entanglements in London are frequently dealt with by the RSPCA’s frontline rescuers. The scenes can be especially distressing, with the animal struggling frantically to break free of the netting, but often only making their plight worse.
One young fox was recently found in a south London back garden hanging in the air by a back leg.
“Football fans have the power to prevent animals falling foul of goal nets,” the RSPCA says.
RSPCA Scientific Officer Rebecca Machin said: “Unattended football and other netting can trap, injure and even kill wildlife and pets, so it’s really important to put nets safely away when they’re not being used after the game is done.
“It’s not just foxes that are affected; other wild mammals like hedgehogs and deer, and even domestic pets, including cats, can become potentially fatally entangled. People have the power to make a real difference.”
The RSPCA’s advice is that if a small animal – like a bird or hedgehog – is found caught up in netting but is uninjured, the fastest way to help it is to gently and carefully disentangle the animal themselves – where it’s safe and possible for them to do so.
Animals who have been entangled will need checking over by a vet, as they may have hidden injuries.
“Getting caught up in netting is very stressful for an animal, particularly one that’s wild,” Machin said. “And if the animal gets seriously entangled, netting – whether it’s used for sports, fencing or the garden – can cause severe injuries or even death.
“As wild animals frequently get trapped during the night, they may have been struggling for many hours by the time they are found in the morning and often need veterinary attention and sedation to cut them free.”
To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care, visit their website.
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