Firefighter’s three hour rescue mission to save a fox in Birmingham

A stranded fox was found stuck with its head in the ground on an industrial estate in Birmingham.

West Midlands firefighters and the RSPCA discovered the animal had its head completely jammed in when they arrived at the scene on Garrison Street, in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, at around 7am yesterday (Friday, August 11).

RSPCA animal rescue officer Cara Gibbon arrived and tried to free the fox - but the animal’s head stuck inside the small hole on the metal floor. She tried using washing up liquid to ease the fox out but that also failed so she called West Midlands Fire Service for assistance.

A fire crew attended and, using specialist equipment, they cut through the metal flooring and pulled it back to free the fox. Incredibly, despite her ordeal the fox had no injuries. Cara said: “I was becoming increasingly concerned for the fox and we needed to get her out as quickly as possible.

"We will always try and rescue animals ourselves but there are occasions where we need the fire and rescue service as they have specialist equipment to help in these situations. It is a fantastic example of partnership working between ourselves and the fire service and we worked as a team to rescue this poor fox.

“When the fox was freed I put her in a crate and she looked around at us all as if she was saying ‘thank you’. It was a great rescue with a happy ending and it is exactly why I do this job.”

Highgate Fire Station posted on X, formerly Twitter: "Who let the fox out? We did! This curious vixen was found with her head in a hole by workers in Bordesley Green when they arrived at 7am. With the help of Technical Rescue , she’s now safely in the care of the RSPCA."