A FOX who was lucky to survive after his leg was impaled on a metal fence railing – leaving him dangling in agony – has now been released back into the wild.
The poor fox, named by the RSPCA as Spike, got into difficulty when trying to jump over the fence in the garden of a house in Tile Hill Lane, Coventry.
He was discovered by the homeowner who alerted animal welfare charity the RSPCA who dispatched officer Adam McConkey to the scene.
He managed to free Spike by using a grasping pole and said the animal was extremely lucky to be alive.
It is believed he may have been trapped like this all night, he said.
Spike was taken to Vale Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre, near Evesham, following the incident on January 13.
After just over three weeks of veterinary care he fully recovered from his injuries and officer McConkey was able to release him back into the wild.
Spike’s injury required stitches and he was initially treated in the centre’s equivalent of an intensive care unit until he was strong enough to feed.
They also found a gun pellet embedded in his body from a previous attack.
He was given antibiotics throughout his time at the centre and was monitored by staff until he was deemed fit to return to the wild.
Officer McConkey said: “Spike was so lucky to survive this accident as the metal post had missed his vital arteries by just millimetres.
“When I arrived at the initial call-out I could see that the wound was not pouring with blood and thought this was a good sign but had a tourniquet ready in case I needed it.
“Using a grasping pole I was able to lift him from the post and safely into a crate, but it wasn’t easy as he weighed about 7kg.
“I was so pleased this handsome boy has made a full recovery and last week I was able to release him back into the wild.”
A spokesman for the rehabilitation centre said: “He was very subdued when he first came to us but he soon improved once he started eating well again it didn’t take him long to get back on his feet. We are delighted he made a full recovery.”
