Rescuing animals can be tough and very stressful. Sometimes, they end up in the strangest, most awkward places—like stuck in a tree, tangled in a thorny bush, or trapped in tiny spaces where they’ve gotten separated from their mothers.
In these tricky situations, you need someone who is patient, precise, and very careful. That’s why firefighters are so good at saving animals. They’re trained to handle all sorts of emergencies, even the ones involving animals!
In 2018, fire captain Brian Vaughan got a call that made him jump into action. Eight little black pups were trapped in a drain well, and it sounded like they were abandoned. The people who made the call thought these pups were black Labrador puppies, left behind by their owners.
When the firefighters arrived, they worked quickly. Just 20 minutes later, the pups were freed from the drain, unharmed and ready to be taken to the Humane Rescue Organization. It seemed like a happy ending… until everyone realized they had made a big mistake.
“One of the vets at the place said: ‘No, these are not labradors, they’re foxes,’” Vaughan told CBS in Denver.
These firefighters in rescued what they thought were puppies from a storm drain… but it turns out they're red foxes!
— CBSColorado (@CBSNewsColorado) March 16, 2018
What to do now?
Reporter @AbeytaCBS4 shares the story: https://t.co/ubpMJjjj8h
(📹: Colorado Springs Fire Department) pic.twitter.com/Mksg0A0IJH
It turns out the tiny pups weren’t dogs at all—they were baby foxes! Foxes are pretty common around the Rocky Mountains, where this litter was found.
Travis Sauder, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife District Manager, told CBS4 that he wasn’t surprised the firefighters were called in. “This time of year there are a lot of animals that are starting to have their young, and they have them in small dens that we can encounter when we’re recreating in the outdoors like we like to do,” he explained.
Luckily, the fox cubs were not harmed. The plan was to return them to the drain in hopes that their mother would come back to care for them. “These animals are going to be put back where we found them hoping that the mother is still in the area and can pick up the normal duties like she would,” Sauder said. If their mother wasn’t around anymore, the foxes would be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center for care.
This is a reminder that when it comes to wild animals, things can be tricky. It’s always better to call an expert before stepping in. Good intentions can sometimes make things worse for the animals.
We all hope these little foxes are reunited with their mom soon!
What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments!
