A family in Leicester heard scratching noises coming from the walls of their garage on Easter Sunday and called firefighters, who rescued three fox cubs that had become trapped inside
Alice Sjoberg Social News Reporter
14:58, 10 Apr 2026
The family had their house wall broken down to get to the noise (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
A family in Leicester found themselves on a rather unexpected Easter hunt this year, left completely puzzled by a mysterious noise coming from in-between the walls of their home.
There are few things more unsettling than hearing a strange sound coming from inside your walls — particularly when you have no idea what might be lurking within. That was precisely the situation for one family, who called Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service on Easter Sunday, 5 April, to help get to the bottom of the peculiar noises. As it turned out, that call ended up saving three lives. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service took to Facebook to share footage from the dramatic rescue, after crews discovered three tiny fox cubs trapped inside the walls of a residential garage.
The fire service posted a series of pictures documenting the rescue, explaining that they had received a call from a member of the public after fox cubs were heard stuck between two buildings.
“While you may have been on an Easter egg hunt on Sunday morning, one of our crews were busy cracking open a garage wall in a search for trapped fox cubs,” the service said in the post.
With the homeowner’s permission, firefighters carefully removed sections of brickwork from the garage wall before locating three young cubs wedged between the structures. What they uncovered, the service revealed, was “not one, not two, but three trapped cubs.”
One of the animals needed oxygen therapy, which crews provided using a specialist mask designed for small animals, the fire service explained.
Following the rescue, all three cubs were handed over to the local RSPCA animal charity branch for further care and treatment.
At the close of the post, the Fire Service urged people to ‘never attempt’ to rescue a distressed animal if it puts themselves at risk. Instead, they advised: “Always contact the appropriate animal rescue organisation.”
The footage has been watched over 142,000 times in just a couple of days, as viewers flocked to the comments section to applaud the efforts of both the fire service and the homeowners.
“”That’s a rescue with a difference!” one person wrote. Another said: “The most heartwarming thing I’ve read in ages! Well done.””
“Homeowner is a bit of a hero too,” a third person said.
Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital also provided an update on the cubs: “An amazing rescue – thank you so much to all involved! And a big thank you to the RSPCA who brought the cubs over to us, and sought an overnight veterinary stay for one of them who was suffering from significant injuries (and is now very lucky to be alive!). The cubs are now in our care and being closely monitored.”
If you’re worried about an animal, whether domestic or wild, you can report your worries to the RSPCA via their website, where they will direct you to the quickest and most effective way to get help.