Mother Fox Waits Patiently While Men Save Her Trapped Baby

A rescue organization in England recently got a call about a tiny fox who'd gotten himself stuck inside a drain pipe, and couldn't make his way out.

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Rescuers with the East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) had no idea where the cub was located inside the drain, and they tried using rods and cameras to locate him, hoping that maybe the rods would encourage him to find his way to the entrance of the pipe.

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As the rescuers worked, they were shocked to discover that the mother fox had appeared nearby, and was watching them.

"It was almost as if she knew we were trying to rescue her cub," Chris Riddington, rescue manager at WRAS, said in a video about the rescue.

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The rescuers took a break for a while, hoping that would encourage the cub to come out on his own. When they came back, one of them stuck their hand into the pipe ... and realized he was now within grabbing distance.

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It took a few tries, but finally, they managed to lift the little fox cub out of the drain and up to safety.

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The little cub was filthy and soaking wet ...

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... and seemed very surprised to see his rescuers, and all the trouble he'd caused.

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After getting him cleaned up, WRAS left the cub in a pet carrier near where he was rescued in hopes that his mom would come back again ... and she did.

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After making sure that no one else was around, the mom helped her baby out of the carrier so that she could finally lead him home again.

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Instead of abandoning him, somehow the mom seemed to know that the rescuers would save her cub, and she waited as long as she had to in order to be reunited with him again. That's love.

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Check out the full video of the rescue below:

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Have you found an orphaned, sick or injured wild animal? It's best to seek out a qualified wildlife rehabilitator. Click here to find out how you can help.