If you walked by a storm drain and heard the unmistakable sound of a puppy yelping for its mother, what would you do? If you were an animal lover, you would probably check inside to see if some cute critter needed to be saved.
That’s exactly what two Colorado Springs residents did when they were in that situation recently.
Be sure to reach the end of this article to see the full video
Upon looking inside the drain, the two responsible citizens witnessed a seemingly dire situation: nine newborn puppies were stuck inside squirming, yelping, and unaccompanied by their mother. The citizens responded by instantly calling the Colorado Springs Fire Department.
The heroic firefighters arrived and prepared for a typical animal retrieval, something they do quite often. They were there to save the puppies, but unfortunately their actions turned out to do more harm than good.
The puppies were carefully removed from the drain that was a couple feet underground, and the firefighter placed them on a towel for safety. Their mother was still nowhere to be found, so the firefighters took them to the local animal shelter. At the shelter, the veterinarian gave them some shocking news!
The nine newborn puppies they brought to the animal shelter were actually nine wild red fox kits (because red fox kits are apparently black).
Travis Sauder, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife employee, explained in the below video that red fox mothers commonly deliver their litters in small spaces outside. Stumbling upon these litters and other groups of young animals is quite common, especially in the springtime when animals in the Colorado Springs area are typically raising their young.
If you ever find a litter of wild animals, leave them alone!
Their mother is more than likely close by and has not abandoned them. Disturbing the litter, or worse, moving them, will distress the litter and the mother! After discovering their mistake, the firefighters quickly returned the kits to where they were found. Wildlife officials plan to periodically check-up on the litter to make sure the mother does eventually return. If not, they will be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation specialist to be raised in captivity in hopes of returning to the wild in the future.
