She was already partway down the trail in Pennsylvania when something moved off to the side, just a quick flash of rust colored fur slipping through the trees.
At first, it did not seem especially unusual. Animals pass through the brush all the time, quiet and easy to miss. But then she noticed something around its neck, and that changed the moment instantly.
There was an object there, tight against the fur, catching the faintest bit of light through the leaves. It was small, almost hidden, but clearly something that did not belong.
The second she stopped, the animal stopped too. Its head dipped low. Its breathing was quick and shallow. She could not fully make sense of what she was looking at yet, only that something was wrong.
Her camera dropped as concern took over. Curiosity was gone.
In that still, quiet space between them, the truth became impossible to ignore. This was not just some chance sighting on the trail. It was an animal asking for help.
The Animal Was Desperate For Help
It started out as an ordinary day for Julie Bernstein when she looked out of the window and saw an animal that needed her help.
At first, it wasn’t clear what it was, but then it dawned on her: it was a fox and he had something around his neck.
She called Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center (Aark) in Pennsylvania in order to set up a camera and see where he was moving the whole time.
The woman realized there was a piece of tubing stuck on the fox’s neck and it was causing him a lot of problems.
Amanda Leyden, who works at Aark, told The Dodo: “The object around his neck was likely a section of drainage pipe. Small animals sometimes take shelter in these pipes, and a curious fox may stick its head inside to investigate or hunt, only to find itself stuck when trying to back out.”
Aark told Bernstein that the simplest solution to this problem was to catch the fox and bring him over to them so they could help.
In order to help the fox, Bernstein first needed to befriend him. He was scared of humans, so the plan was to help him relax a little bit.
Tubey Was A Really Healthy Fox
She set up a feeding station near her property, and she kept monitoring the fox the whole time. After a while, she decided to set up a humane trap.
As days went by, the fox got closer to the trap and Bernstein’s plan was working. She said: “Foxes are extremely intelligent and cautious. So this process took quite a bit of time and patience.”
The fox, now named Tubey, eventually got into the trap and the rescue was successful. After catching him, she found out that he was in excellent shape.
Now that he was safe, he was taken to Aark, where the rescuers sedated him and got started on the process of removing the tube around his neck.
He was also examined for other potential health problems, but Tubey was just a really healthy fox. There wasn’t much more they could do for him after removing the tube.
Leyden said: “Once Tubey woke up fully from sedation, he appeared noticeably calmer. He settled comfortably in his crate, alert but no longer panicked, which was a big change from his arrival.”
Once everything was taken care of, Bernstein took the fox back to where she first spotted him and allowed him to go back to his natural habitat. It’s pretty amazing how everything turned out so well for him.