We as humans tend to stop thinking about or garbage or the effects it may have once it is in our trash bins. Recently though, a woman discovered how much of an impact our refuse can make on wildlife. For a few weeks, her family had been watching as young foxes played in their back yard, where the litter was being cared for by their mother beneath a shed.
One day, however the woman spotted something different and very alarming. One of the baby foxes was in her back yard but with a tin can stuck on his head! Knowing that the little animal needed help, she acted quickly by placing her laundry basket over it. “I didn’t want to try and remove the can myself and risk hurting him, but I also didn’t want him running off with it stuck” she told the animal rescuer she called to help. Upon arriving, the gentleman observed the small fox was unable to remove his head from the can due to the sharp metal edges.
Acting gently, yet quickly the man was able to remove the piece of litter from the animal’s head. The small fox was obviously distraught, most evidenced by it relieving itself on his hero’s trousers! “He just wee’d on me a little,” the man told the woman with a chuckle. Taking it all in stride, the man was happy to be of help. “This is what I love most,” he stated as he released the baby fox back under the shed to rejoin his family. Most would agree, there really is nothing quite so heartwarming as a happy ending, and a family reunion.
It may be time that we all start paying a little more attention to how we dispose of our unwanted items. After all, the next little fox may not have a kindhearted person see him struggling with something such as this. Take the extra few moments to crush your cans, to snip your plastic, and to make sure you’re tossing your trash safe. It could just save a life!