Fox cub stuck to road freed after months of care

A fox cub has been released back into the wild more than three months after he was found stuck to a road and covered in bitumen.

Officials from the South Essex Wildlife Hospital charity have described the case as “one of the most horrific” they have encountered in more than 35 years of rescue work.

The male cub was initially found by workers on a north-east London industrial estate in May as he tried to escape from a container of bitumen.

Complex leg fracture

Although the tar-like substance was eventually removed, staff at the charity’s home in Orsett, near Grays, then found he had sustained a leg fracture which required complex surgery.

However, the operation was successfully completed by a team led by vet Ben Cranke from the VetCall practice in Chingford.

Hospital operations manager Lawrie Brailey paid tribute to the work of Dr Cranke and his team, as well as fellow vets Alda Goncalves, who oversaw the initial clean-up, and the hospital’s own vet, Tomas Linsel, for their work on the case, as well as the public’s support.

He said: “Although Dr Cranke offered to perform the operation pro-bono, the fox’s treatment has been expensive for a charity and would not have been possible without their support.”