Gosport woman jumps into icy pond to save a fox cub from drowning

While walking her dogs in Alver Valley Country Park in Alverstoke, 58-year-old Tania Bartlett was alarmed to see the young animal crawl into the pond near the back of the park.

Tania said: ‘We saw a fox crawling, not walking properly. It was obviously injured or sick. I couldn’t stand there and see it drown in the icy water.’

Tania, who has two dogs, five cats, four guinea pigs and four rabbits at home, said she was bitten multiple times while attempting to rescue the fox, which looked to be no more than a year old. She added: ‘It was about two degrees that day. You could see it wasn’t properly well because it probably would have bitten me and attacked me a lot more.’

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‘My mum was with me at the time so we had five dogs with us. She got the dogs on their leads and someone else came to help us. We tried to call the RSPCA and all the local rescue places but couldn't get through to any of them. It must have been about an hour we were trying to get through to the RSPCA and trying to see what would be best to do for it. The whole time I’m just hugging this fox trying to keep it warm.’

Tania left the fox with another dog walker who was able to fetch a large box from his car. She then went to hospital to have her bites checked for infection and get checked over after being in the cold water.

The man told Tania he fed foxes in the local area and would continue trying to get in touch with an animal shelter.

Strangely, upon arrival at the minor injuries unit in Gosport, she was told hers was the second fox bite they had treated that day.

Tania added: ‘It was a bit dramatic at the time and a bit cold. I spent a few hours in the hospital getting some bites checked which were a bit bruised and tender and some antibiotics and stuff, but I would do it again. I was really upset because I don't know exactly what happened to it and I don't want him to suffer.’