The RSPCA has rescued a poor fox trapped in thick heating oil which had leaked under a derelict building.

RSPCA Inspector Helen Smith was called to save the fox after a member of the public spotted two eyes submerged in the tar-like substance and realised an animal was stuck. 

She attended the address in Friday Street in Leicester city centre, on Thursday 27 March and managed to attach a grasper around the fox’s neck and gently pull him from the pit.

She said: “This poor fox was totally stuck in the thick, tar-like substance and couldn’t move. We have no idea how long he had been there. It’s a miracle he was spotted! 

“It was an observation pit which had been flooded with heating oil which had leaked from a vandalised storage tank and filled the underneath of the derelict building with oil. Only the fox’s ears, eyes and nose were above the oil line but his body was completely stuck. With some effort, I managed to pull the fox from the pit and took him straight to a local vets where the mammal was sedated and the huge clean-up job began.

“I’ve never seen anything like it! The fox was covered in oil from head to toe and it was so thick that it was a big job to clean it all off. The following day, the fox was still black but a little cleaner, and I was able to transfer him to RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire for further cleaning and rehabilitation.

“He’s a male, juvenile fox so still only young yet has been through such an ordeal already. However, the vets are optimistic that he will recover well and will be able to be released back into the wild.”

The fox continues to be cared for at RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre. 

Centre Manager, Lee Stewart added: “This is the worst oil case I have ever seen. The poor fox had to be sedated to be washed by the team, so at each wash we had three staff washing and a vet and vet nurse on standby.  The vet team will be monitoring over the weekend in the hope the fox can then be released next week.”

If you see a fox in need of help, please contact the RSPCA’s helpline on 0300 1234 999.

For more information on how to help foxes, visit: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/foxes/injured.

Images and a video can be downloaded here: https://rspca.quatrix.it/download/6bc00346-be27-4bea-98b5-81899f3712e7