Phoebe, the fox cub, was rescued and moved to the Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary after being found alone and terrified on the streets of Leeds, UK.
When the young two-month-old came at the sanctuary, they were confused where to place her because there were no other adult foxes to place her with.
They didn’t want Phoebe to be completely dependant on humans for food and help, so they had to go outside the box…
Phoebe was placed with a couple of orphaned badgers to see if she might form a relationship with them. Bella and Betty, the badgers, had struck up an immediate bond with Phoebe, and they had become her new family. The badgers were found wandering the streets of Meltham, West Yorkshire, and sent to the sanctuary as aimless youngsters.
In the wild, foxes and badgers avoid each other, but in the refuge, the three have discovered comfort and security in one other’s companionship. “In the wild, foxes and badgers would never mingle; in fact, they tend to stay out of each other’s way,” explains Alexandra Farmer, the sanctuary’s chief executive.
“However, these three were wild animals without their moms, all of a similar size, and we figured we could put them together as long as we kept an eye on them.”
“We’ve been ecstatic to see how well they’ve bonded; it’s been amazing to see them nurse, sleep, and even play together.” The staff at the refuge hopes that the animals will take the initiative in rearing one another so that they may eventually be released back into the wild.
“Since they were placed together in an outdoor kennel block in a protected area with some bedding and a heat lamp, they have flourished.”
“They sleep snuggled up together and sip puppy formula milk from the same bowl — they haven’t begun solids yet.”
Source: https://dailylifeworld.com
