Fox family reunited after cubs found hiding in car

Five fox cubs have been safely reunited with their mother after they were found hiding in the underside of a car taken to a south-east London garage for repair.

The animals had been sheltering beneath a Mustang Mach-E and were discovered when technicians removed the vehicle's undertray to investigate an electrical fault.

After being checked by vets and assisted by the Fox Project charity, they were successfully returned to their mother.

Martin Gibson, general manager at Vertu Bromley Ford, said: "Our workshop has encountered all kinds of issues with vehicles over the years, but a set of fox cubs is a brand new one for us."

The team in the workshop said they were shocked to see the five cubs - four males and one female - drop out on to the floor in front of them as the undertray of the car was removed on 2 March.

Gibson said: "At first, our technician thought they might be rats because the cubs are grey, rather than the typical red you would expect of a fox – they gave him quite a fright.

"But when we saw them clearly, there was no doubt what they were.

"I can only think that the mother fox must have been looking for somewhere comfortable for the night, but the cubs had chewed through some cables which had then caused the electrical issue."

The cubs were gathered up by technicians at the garage, kept warm and taken to Bromley Common Vets, where they were checked over and stabilised.

After their assessment, the cubs were passed to The Fox Project, a specialist wildlife charity that cares for abandoned and injured foxes.

The charity began planning how to reunite them with their mother and decided the best way would be via the same driveway where the car had previously been sitting unused for a time.

The Fox Project contacted the surprised but co-operative car owner, who agreed to allow his driveway to be used for the attempt.

After waiting until nightfall, the cubs were placed outside in a heated box to keep them calm and warm.

What could have been a long and uncertain process was resolved within minutes, according to The Fox Project.

The vixen appeared almost immediately and showed no hesitation in retrieving her cubs on 4 March.

Gibson added: "We're so happy that they have been reunited with their mother and incredibly grateful to the amazing Fox Project for helping this story have a happy ending."

The charity praised everyone involved for acting quickly enough to make the reunion possible.

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