A young fox cub that was found stuck to a road and covered in sticky black tar has finally been released back into the wild, the South Essex Wildlife Hospital in England said on Monday.
In May, workers at an industrial estate in north-east London discovered the fox trapped in bitumen, which is a thick substance made from crude oil and often used in road construction.
The South Essex Wildlife Hospital team was called to help. They spent more than half an hour carefully freeing each of the fox’s legs. One leg was badly damaged and needed complex surgery.
Cleaning the cub’s fur took days, along with many bottles of baby oil and WD-40 to remove the sticky tar. The hospital staff said the recovery process was long and difficult, but the young fox slowly gained strength.
This week, the cub was released into the wild. The hospital shared photos of the moment he leapt out of his cage into the grass. On social media, they wrote: “Three months and 17 days. That’s how long it took for this young fox to be given a second chance back in the wild.”
They added that the journey had been emotional and thanked everyone who donated to the charity and shared the fox’s story. “Tar fox is finally free,” they wrote. “Good luck little fox, keep out of trouble.”
The story of the cub, nicknamed “Tar Fox,” has touched many people online and brought attention to the dangers wild animals face in urban and industrial areas.
