Rescuing animals isn’t always easy. Sometimes they get stuck in strange places, like trees or bushes, or in tight spaces after getting separated from their moms. These situations can be stressful and tough to handle.
That’s why firefighters are so great at helping animals—they’re trained to act fast and carefully.
In 2018, fire captain Brian Vaughan received a call that made him realize this rescue was urgent. A group of eight black puppies had been found stuck in a drain well, and it looked like they had been abandoned. The people who called thought they had found a litter of black Labrador pups, left behind by their owners.
The firefighters worked quickly and, within 20 minutes, the puppies were out of the drain and safe. They were taken to the Humane Rescue Organization nearby. But that’s when something surprising happened.
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
“One of the vets at the place said: ‘No, these are not labradors, they’re foxes,’” Vaughan told CBS in Denver.
It turned out the pups weren’t dogs at all—they were baby foxes! Foxes are very common in the area around the Rocky Mountains, and that’s where these fox cubs had been found.
Travis Sauder, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife District Manager, explained why it wasn’t surprising that the firefighters were called. “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 are places that we can encounter when we’re recreating in the outdoors like we like to do,” Sauder said.
Thankfully, the plan was to return the foxes to the pipe they were found in, hoping their mother would come back 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 the mom didn’t return, the foxes would be cared for at a licensed wildlife rehab.
This story shows that even well-meaning people can sometimes misunderstand wildlife. It’s always best to call an expert before acting, so you don’t accidentally make things worse for the animals.
Let’s hope these little fox cubs are back with their mom soon!
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!
