They all stayed by the drain until he was safe ❤️
A Surprise Patient: Hospital Nurses Rally to Rescue Fox Cub Trapped in Drain
It started like any ordinary day at St. Helier Hospital in Sutton, England — until a nurse walking past an outdoor drain spotted something that made them stop in their tracks. Six feet down, shivering and confused, was a small, frightened creature who had clearly wandered far from home: a fox cub, trapped and unable to climb out.
Without hesitation, the nurse called the RSPCA for help and stayed by the drain to make sure the little animal wasn’t alone. Soon, other hospital staff gathered, forming an impromptu rescue team — and a cheering squad.
A Fox in Need — And a Team Ready to Help
When Yalina Blumer, an animal rescue officer with the RSPCA, arrived on the scene, she was greeted by a crowd of concerned nurses and doctors watching anxiously from above.
“The cub was about six feet down so I went down on a ladder,” Blumer explained. “I had a crowd of people from the hospital watching me, and one of them lowered the basket down to me. I managed to catch the cub with my grasper and he was lifted up.”
The crowd watched as Blumer gently secured the frightened fox and brought him to the surface. There was initial concern he might have a broken leg, but thankfully, after an assessment, he appeared largely unharmed — though pale and clearly exhausted from the ordeal.
“The young fox was bright and alert, but he had pale gums and I was unsure how long he had been trapped, so it was important he was checked out,” Blumer said.
A Little Patient with a Big Team
For the nurses and doctors at St. Helier, caring for others is second nature. That day, their compassion extended beyond human patients — and the fox, in a way, became one of their own. The entire team was relieved and overjoyed to see the cub safe again.
After confirming the fox was healthy, Blumer brought him to a wooded area just behind the hospital, where staff reported seeing known fox dens.
“I released him into the woodland backing onto the hospital,” she said. “He was hesitant at first but then scurried off into the woods, relieved to have the whole ordeal behind him.”
A Bit of Healing for Everyone
What could have been a tragic end became a story of teamwork, compassion, and resilience. While the fox may never understand how many people were rooting for him, the staff at St. Helier won’t soon forget the tiny surprise patient they helped save.
In a place dedicated to healing, that fox found just the right crowd — and just the right hands — to guide him back to safety.