Fox cub rescued by firefighters after getting stuck inside car tyre

Young animal is believed to have been trapped for two days before it was saved

Foxes are known to stick their heads through the holes in the middle of wheels when they are looking for food (West Midlands Fire Service/SWNS)

Firefighters rescued a fox cub after it got its head firmly stuck inside a tyre.

Fire crews and Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) rescuers were called after a member of the public spotted the distressed animal on Woolacombe Lodge Road in Selly Oak, Birmingham.

Firefighters cut a small hole in the wheel in order to free the cub, which is believed to have been trapped for two days.

The male fox was then taken into the care of the RSPCA following the rescue at about 1pm on 24 May.

West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service shared photos of the young animal peering up at the camera while wedged inside the rusty wheel.

WMFS Bournbrook tweeted: “White watch, with assistance from the RSPCA have rescued this young fox that was stuck this afternoon.”

One web user replied: “Poor little thing, hope he was okay.”

Another added: “Great work, this is happening all too often to foxes, people need to be more careful discarding their rubbish.”

The animal charity has previously warned people to store old tyres more carefully as animals can become trapped inside.

Foxes are known to put their heads through the holes in the middle of wheels when they are looking for food, but their ears can prevent them from getting out again.

SWNS