Barbed wire fox rescued by Wallington animal lovers (From Your Local Guardian)

Barbed wire fox rescued by Wallington animal lovers

7:10am Wednesday 7th January 2009

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A young fox has won its battle for survival after it got caught-up in a coil of barbed wire just before New Year's Eve.

Volunteers from the London Wildcare Trust were called out to rescue the creature when it became trapped in the dumped wire on the bank of the River Wandle at the end of Culvers Avenue in Carshalton.

It was bound up so tightly by the wire that the Trust's founder Ted Burden was forced to sedate the fox at the scene before cutting it free with an angle grinder.

Mr Burden said: “It was touch and go for a few days as to whether the fox would survive.

“But it has made a remarkable recovery and we should be able to release it back in to the wild very soon."

Meanwhile the charity, which runs a rescue and treatment centre in Beddington Park, Wallington, has also put out an urgent appeal for tinned dog food.

The hospital, which treats more than 4,000 animals every year, uses between 60 and 180 cans of dog food a day, numerous packets of hazelnuts, walnuts and jam tarts and dozens of fresh sliced bread loaves.

Mr Burden said: “We have a serious shortage of basic food items at the moment that will make it extremely difficult to feed the animals in the coming months.

“But if people could simply buy an extra couple of tins of Pedigree Chum or a bag of nuts when they’re shopping none of our animals will go hungry."

Donations of food can be taken to the hospital in Church Road, Beddington Park, Wallington, or telephone 020 8647 6230 for collection.

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