A poor fox cub spent five hours with his head stuck in a concrete garden trap after he tried to get to a piece of cake.
Wendy Bradmore and Keith Collins found the stricken canine in what appeared a large concrete mosquito trap in their garden in Littlehampton, West Sussex.
The female fox managed to dislodge a metal part inside the trap and pushed her head inside but got stuck.
The couple called the RSPCA to help rescue the fox as it was distressed and struggling to breathe
It is thought the fox was trying to get to a piece of cake at the bottom of the trap when its head got wedged in the gap in the concrete.
‘We tried to give her some water but she was incredibly frightened so we called the experts for help.’
The couple called the RSPCA’s emergency line and an inspector from the animal charity as well as a fire crew came out to help free the fox by breaking open the block.
Inspector Kate Barnes said: ‘We found a small piece of cake at the bottom of the gap so we think she followed her nose in there for a snack and bit off more than she could chew.
‘The concrete was very thick and strong so I called for assistance from West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s technical rescue team.
Ms Bradmore said she has seen a female fox in their garden many times
‘They managed to break the concrete using spreaders but had to be incredibly careful not to injure the little fox in the process. We popped her in a cage and checked her over but, thankfully, she didn’t appear to have any injuries from her ordeal.
‘It’s always a last resort taking a fox – especially a youngster – away from their home and family so I decided she was well enough to release in the garden so she could find her way back to her den and recover in the comfort of her own home. Hopefully next time she’ll think before she follows her nose – or her stomach.’