After spotting a young fox stuck in Richmond Hill's Bulbous Betty water fountain, McFly bassist Dougie Poynter jumped in to action and helped RSPCA Officer Lisa Miller save the vulpine victim
The fox had made its way into the well known ‘Bulbous Betty’ water fountain in Richmond Hill last Thursday afternoon (14 June) but was stranded in the centre of the structure, and with the surrounding walls almost 3ft high, he was unable to jump out and escape.
That’s when McFly’s bass player Dougie Poynter, who was passing by, spotted the fox, and called the RSPCA for help, and animal collection officer (ACO) Lisa Miller came to the rescue.
Fun fact: The latin name for fox is “Vulpes Vulpes”
ACO Miller said: “Rescuing wild animals is all part of the job for me, so when I arrived and saw the poor little fox hiding among the plants on the island in the middle of the fountain, I knew I needed to act fast to save him any more stress. Dougie did absolutely the right thing by calling us for help, and he waited by the fountain to keep an eye on the fox until I arrived which was really kind.
“There’s really only way to rescue an animal from the middle of a water fountain! So I rolled up my trouser legs and climbed into the fountain and waded through all the pondweed.
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“Luckily it paid off and although my legs were wet through, I managed to carefully pop the fox into a carrier and head back to dry land, where I was able to check him for any signs of ill-health, before releasing him back to the wild in some nearby woodland where he had most likely come from. “
ACO Miller added: “Young foxes can be curious and this one had clearly just got himself into a bit of a fix. He’s lucky Dougie was there to call us for help, so I’d like to say a big thanks to him for caring for animals so much - and also for the dry trousers and socks he kindly gave me after my pond-wading!”
Fun fact: A group of foxes is called a 'skulk' or a 'leash'
Dougie Poynter said: “The RSPCA were very responsive, professional and not afraid to jump in a swampy fountain to rescue an animal in danger.”
Anyone who finds an animal in danger can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.
To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit: rspca.org.uk/give
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