Fox still smiling after suffering burns to face and paws

Two weeks after recovery and lots to smile about!

A fox is still smiling and well on the road to recovery after being found injured and burnt at a brick works in Bexhill, East Sussex. Staff at the IBstock Brickworks in Bexhill called out East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) after discovering the fox inside one of their chemical storage rooms.

The fox named "Bricky" has been in care at East Sussex WRAS's Casualty Care Centre at Whitesmith, since their rescuers captured the fox on 13th August 2013.

Bricky had burns on his face and paws when he was rescued

Rescuers attended on site and a team of two rescuers and two students cornered the fox which was caught using a dog grasper. "The lighting in the room was not good but you could see there was blood on the floor and dripping from the foxes nose so we had to be careful about how we caught the fox" explained WRAS's rescuer co-ordinator Trevor Weeks, "as soon as the fox was caught he was placed into a cage and taken out to our ambulance where first aid treatment was given. Blood was pouring from the foxes nose and you could see where the fur and whiskers had been burnt round the fox's nose. On closer inspection we could see the pads on the feet were also red and burnt."

Rescuers were at first unsure whether the burns were chemical and heat related, but WRAS's vet Chris Halls from Henley House Vets in Uckfield, assessed the wounds was sure they were heat related and was happy with the first aid treatment given. The fox has been on antibiotics and pain relief.

"We are not sure of the exact cause of the burns but as they were on the fox's feet and nose all we can think is that he has been inside the Brickyard near one of the kilns or some other heat source which he has walked on and just been a bit too nosy" said Trevor.

The fox has been in care for two weeks now and is making a good recovery, and is still smiling.

"We hope he will be with us for another couple of weeks to ensure the skin has fully healed and then we will be releasing him back in his home range but not in the Brickyard." Said Trevor.

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Press Contact: Trevor Weeks MBE (East Sussex WRAS) - 07931 523958

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