Daft as a brush! Clumsy fox is rescued after getting wedged between two fence panels

They may be known for being cunning, but this fox has been been described as ‘all brawn and no brain’.

The clumsy creature had to be rescued by the RSPCA after it was outfoxed by a wooden fence.

The animal had attempted to leap between two gardens when it found itself jammed between two wooden panels – leaving it hanging upside down.

After spotting the fox struggling to free itself, the homeowners called out the RSPCA to rescue it.

Animal rescue officer Chloe Wilson attended the address in Caterham, Surrey, where she found the animal exhausted and still stuck.

Fortunately, she was able to easily lift the male fox out of the panels and take it to rehabilitation centre Wildlife Aid, where it was examined by a vet.

Ms Wilson said: ‘He was easy to remove, he was just wedged in because he’s such a big boy!

‘Clearly he’d just mis-calculated his size and the gap in the fence and got himself stuck. I managed to lift him straight off.

‘He was taken to Wildlife Aid where he had X-rays and an ultrasound. Thankfully vets found no internal damage or broken bones.

‘He was given a dental as he had a few broken teeth and wood lodged, he’d clearly been trying to chew himself free.

‘He’s been kept in for a few days as he is very scared and refusing to eat.

‘He’ll stay there until he’s feeling better, then we can release him back near where we found him – and hopefully he’ll take his size into account next time!’

Staff at Wildlife Aid have since named the fox ‘Thor’ – after the powerful but arrogant Norse god portrayed by Chris Hemsworth in the Marvel film.

It will be kept at the charity’s rescue centre in Leatherhead, Surrey, until it is fit to be released into the wild.

Sharing photos of the plucky fox in a post on Facebook, Wildlife Aid described it as being ‘all brawn and no brain’.

They wrote: ‘In stunning condition, we’re thinking ‘Thor’, here, is probably the most sought after bachelor in his territory, but he seems to be all brawn and no brain.

‘Having, clearly, mis-calculated his size and the width of the fencing, Thor found himself firmly stuck. Rescued by the RSPCA (England & Wales) – their inspector, Chloe, was able to lift Thor up and out of the fencing – but with blood coming from his mouth and tail, and with no idea how long he had been stuck for, Chloe brought him over to us for a full work up.

‘Concerned about damage to Thor’s pelvis and abdomen, our vet, Marco, carried out an ultrasound and X-ray to check for internal damage.

‘With nothing worrying seen, Marco moved on to Thor’s mouth, where not only did he have a few broken teeth, he had also managed to get a piece of wood wedged in the roof of his mouth. Clearly, Thor had been trying to chew his way free.

‘Whilst most of the foxes we admit have a degree of confidence around humans, Thor is an extremely scared fox, not eating for the first 48 hours, and hiding in the corner of his pen, all day.

‘Whilst we know his teeth will be causing him some discomfort, it is rare for a fox not to eat when given the opportunity.

‘So, our goal now is to get him fixed up and back out in the wild, as soon as possible.’

This article by Arthur Parashar was first published by The Daily Mail on 11 January 2024. Lead Image: This clumsy fox found itself trapped between the wooden panels of a fence as it darted across some back gardens.

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