Two foxes have been rescued after getting trapped inside a disused, fire-damaged hotel in Sandown.
Locals raised the alarm after spotting the stricken foxes in a window of the closed St Moritz Hotel in Culver Parade, Sandown.
The building has been left derelict since a fire tore through it - and the Tarvic 2 hotel - on September 2 2018.
RSPCA animal collection officer Kane Goodyear went to the scene on Friday (18). He said:
“The hotel was boarded up and closed to the public two years ago after being seriously damaged in a fire.
“Local people had spotted them through a window and said they’d been pawing and scratching at the windows to try to get out. Unsurprisingly, they were very distressed to find themselves trapped inside and had no access to any food or water.
“Thankfully, we managed to contact someone and a member of staff took me into the hotel to reach the foxes.
“Foxes are very inquisitive and scavenge for food so I suspect they’d wandered in before getting trapped inside. They’d become stuck inside a hotel room on the first floor where the door had shut behind them, locking them in.
“They were hiding under a bunk bed and shot out when I opened the door - they made me jump! They both dashed into the bathroom and huddled up behind the toilet where I was able to catch them.
“I don’t think they’d been stuck for too long as they were in fairly good condition so I checked them over for injuries and was pleased to find them both fit and healthy.
“I took them to a nice, quiet area nearby and released him into the undergrowth. They shot off so were clearly pleased to be back in the open!”
The RSPCA advises the public to contact the charity’s emergency hotline on 0300 1234 999 to report sick, injured or trapped wildlife. Wild animals can bite and scratch - especially if they’re distressed - so we don’t advise the public to attempt a rescue themselves.
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