Fox saved in dramatic rescue
Published: June 29, 2007
A fox trapped 80 feet up on a shopping centre ledge has a new name - Vertigo.
The vixen was spotted on Wednesday on a ledge behind Leatherhead’s Swan shopping centre, sparking a dramatic rescue.
Volunteers from Leatherhead’s animal hospital found the fox tangled in pigeon netting and facing another problem - a loud fire alarm that could frighten her in to jumping.
The animal experts were joined by a film crew, Wildlife SOS producer Simon Cowell and Surrey photographer Andy Newbold, who said the only plan was to try and open a window and get the fox back in to the centre.
“Somehow Vertigo, as she was later nicknamed, had leapt from the service desk through a small hole in netting designed to deter pigeons and onto the small ledge with a sheer drop either side,” Mr Newbold said.
“She needed calm to avoid the worse case scenario but we soon learned that within minutes a scheduled test evacuation of the shopping centre, which could not be changed, was due to happen.
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“This would not only involve alarms making it the noisiest that particular spot would have been in years but large amount of people coming through the fire doors just yards from the terrified animal.
“The alarms sounded and seconds later people started filing out.
“They must have wondered what was going on when we shepherded them away from the area asking them to hush and when they saw the fox, many asked if that was why the alarms were sounding.
“Thankfully the fox stayed put and was not too disturbed by the alarms.”
Volunteer Sara Cowan got a nearby window open, which Vertigo climbed through.
After a brief struggle, Vertigo was caught and caged and taken back to the Wildlife Aid hospital where she was examined and treated for a mild case of mange.
She is expected to be released soon, while the footage of the rescue will be included in the next series of Wildlife SOS.
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