The dramatic operation to free fox cub trapped underground in pipe, as RSPCA reveals top rescues

A terrified fox cub trapped underground in a pipe in Manchester was freed in a dramatic rescue - which has been named one of the RSPCA's top operations of the year.

The charity - now 200 years old - was called out many thousands of times in 2024, with emergencies involving stricken animals from peacocks to badgers. But one rescue in Old Trafford proved to be particularly tricky, but thankfully had a happy ending.

The tiny fox cub - thought to have been around four weeks old - got stuck in a four inch-wide drainage pipe two feet underground in April. The homeowners heard the cub in their cellar wall and called Fox Rescuers, a wildlife rescue based in Stockport, for help, but due to the complexity of the rescue needed, they called the RSPCA and Quick Drains in Manchester.

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Lee Ferrans said: "The pipe was at a right angle which meant it was really difficult to get any equipment in there to free the cub. The Quick Drains team put a camera into the pipe so we could check the fox was still breathing and thankfully he was.

"We could see he was very distressed, he hadn’t eaten for a few days and he needed to get out as soon as possible.

"It was decided the only way to get the fox out was to dig a hole and take out the pipe. The homeowner gave us permission and, after a lot of hard work, the fox cub was finally free. He was very shaken and very thin but also growling and trying to bite, which is a good sign."

Other rescues making the top 10 include a peacock that fell from a roof, a badger in a lime kiln and a ewe trapped between a wall and a fence.

RSPCA Chief Inspectorate Officer Steve Bennett said: “For 200 years the RSPCA’s dedicated and passionate team of rescuers have been helping animals in