Fantastic display, Mr Fox: Cub falls 12ft through the ceiling... and into shop window

 09th November 2009

Shoppers at a busy leather goods store couldn't believe their eyes when a fox fell through the ceiling and into the front window display.

The startled animal dropped into the shop and fell 12ft before landing on a pile of luggage.

It is believed the fox, who is only a cub, crept into the suspended ceiling through the fan system, which is switched off at night.

Startled consumers crowded around the front window as the fox nestled between some handbags and allowed itself to be petted.

Brush with death: A fox fell through the ventilation system at Dolphin Leather Goods in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

Store owner Ruth Reeves, 47, photographed the animal on her mobile phone before calling a local wildlife centre to arrange a rescue at the Dolphin Leather Goods in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

She said: 'We heard some scratching and a kerfuffle in the suspended ceiling and one of the panels just sort of collapsed.

'I thought, "Oh, gosh. Something's fallen on to the floor," and I then I heard this scuffling and I went over to the window and there was this beautiful little fox.

Lucky escape: Despite suffering from concussion, the disorientated animal was otherwise unharmed

'There are air fans up there that run during the day that are off at night so he must have come through the vents after hours.

'He didn't hurt himself because he fell on some big travel bags which are full of stuffing I've got near the front window.

'He was lovely. He let me stroke him in the window just like a little cat.

'He looked like a perfect little fox - he had a lovely bushy tail and his coat was beautiful, although he seemed to have a little cataract in one eye.'

Window dressing: The docile fox brightened up the shop front

Mother-of-three Ruth phoned the Secret World Wildlife Sanctuary in nearby Highbridge, Somerset, after the fox fell into her store at around 1pm on Monday.

Secret World founder Pauline Kidner, who is now caring for the animal, said he was 'very lucky' not to have been seriously injured in the fall.

She said: 'He was certainly suffering from concussion when he came in - he was very disoriented and very quiet.

'He was very lucky that he had a soft landing on some bags when he fell.

'We put him in one of our casualty pens and supported him with heat and pain relief because he had bruises, but luckily he had escaped without any other injuries.

'He's doing very well now, and we've been walking him up and down the corridor.

'He's a cub from this year, who's in very good condition. We're hoping to release him on Sunday in the middle of the night.

'We've been calling him Fantastic Mr Fox.'