A Peckham shopkeeper got more than they bargained for after discovering a fox in their storage room.
The vixen snuck into House of Essentials, a homeware store on Rye Lane, early on Sunday morning (January 8).
Shop workers arrived to find the terrified animal “wedged beneath a stack of boxes” and called the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
RSPCA inspector Harriet Daliday said: “CCTV footage showed the fox entering the storage room first thing in the morning, but when she failed to emerge later in the day, the shop owners became concerned and called us to help at 2.30pm.
“She had managed to wriggle her way into a tiny gap under some boxes, making her incredibly hard to find in the extremely full storage room.
“The poor girl was absolutely terrified when we got to her, and she was really wedged beneath a stack of boxes. I had to get right down onto the floor to help her get free.
“We had to be extra careful because the shop owners had expressed concerns she may have an injured back leg, but once we got her out we could see she was spritely and uninjured.”
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The rescue was successful and the RSPCA returned the fox to the wild soon afterward.
Harriet added: “I released her into a nearby quiet side street with a lovely green space. We always aim to release animals as close to where they are found as possible so they know where they are and can easily get back home.
“She was a lively girl and very happy to be back out and free to find her way home. It’s a really lovely moment when you can release an animal back to safety.”
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The RSPCA has reminded the public to look after wild animals, keep a safe distance and report any concerns to their emergency line.
Kamran Raza, a spokesperson for House of Essentials, added: “We were very surprised to find the fox in our storage room! The RSPCA were brilliant and we were really pleased they were able to help rescue and release the fox back to safety.”
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Anyone concerned about the welfare of an animal should call 0300 1234 999. Members of the public can find out more about how to help injured wildlife by visiting the RSPCA website.
To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit: www.rspca.org.uk/give.
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