A hurt fox is cornered in a cage. He bares his teeth. He snarls at Nicki Townsend, who works for The Fox Project. She is trying to help.

Ms. Townsend is unfazed. Wearing rubber gloves, she comes closer. “All right, baby,” she coos. She drapes a towel over the fox’s head. She grabs him by the scruff of his neck, scoops up his wounded legs, and moves him to a clean cage.

It’s just a day in the life of a fox rescuer.

Did you know that London, England, has a large fox population? The city isn’t known for its wildlife. But about 15,000 foxes make their homes there anyway. They live on the streets. They sneak through alleys. They hang out in city gardens. And when a fox needs help, the fox ambulance—Ms. Townsend’s car—rushes to the rescue. 

Foxes are omnivores. In the wild, they eat smaller animals, bugs, and berries. In a city like London, they gobble garbage. But that comes at a cost for them. Some get hit by cars, snagged in soccer nets, or stuck in tight spaces. When they try to escape, they often get nasty scratches and cuts. These may get infected. Many also get a sickness called mange. Mites burrow into fox hair follicles. They cause itchy skin and balding patches.

Ms. Townsend has seen a bit of everything in her fox rescuing work. She took her first call over two years ago. That fox bolted away.

“In my inexperience, I chased after him,” she says, “which is comical because you’re never going to outrun a fox. I just remember he ran very fast and I looked silly running after him.”

Despite many challenging situations, Ms. Townsend has been bitten only once.

Why? God gives some people an especially strong love for animals. These folks use their giftedness to help furry creatures like foxes.

Recommended Reading: For more about foxes, read The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars.