Fox trapped inside Amazon delivery van engine rescued

By Ed Chatterton

A hapless young fox needed rescuing by the RSPCA after getting trapped inside the engine of an Amazon driver's delivery van.

The distressed female fox was only discovered by the stunned driver after she chewed through a wire which caused a warning light to flash.

He then parked up and popped the bonnet to find the animal lodged inside his hot engine during his shift on Wednesday (12/11).

The RSPCA was called, and rescue teams from the animal charity attended the scene at the Amazon depot in Derby.

Inspector Herchy Boal used a grasper to carefully maneuver the fox into a safe position and remove her from the engine before taking her to a vet for a check-up.

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Luckily, the fox escaped with only minor injuries - a wound on her tail and a minor burn on her back leg, as well as some pressure sores and bruising from where she was trapped.

She was treated with antibiotics as well as medicine to treat her fleas and mange.

Herchy collected the fox the next day and took her to Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital, where she will undergo treatment for mange before being released back into the wild.

Herchy said: “Being trapped in a hot engine could have ended very differently for this young fox - but thankfully her injuries were minor and she’s expected to make a full recovery.

“We have no idea how long she’d been in the engine for - potentially, she could have had a long and scary journey trapped in there - so it was a relief to get to her in time.

“She’s now in the best place for ongoing treatment, and after she’s well rested and recovered, she’ll be able to return to the wild, where she belongs.”