A poor fox has died after the animal was hit by a car and became trapped in its grille.
The driver said she heard a “strange noise” while taking her children to school on a rural highway on Tuesday (22 Jul).
After she dropped her kids off, the mum checked the front of her car and saw the injured animal lying inside the front grille.
READ MORE: Brazen Co-op thieves jailed after filling rucksack with meat and energy drinks
She immediately called the emergency services, and firefighters arrived to remove the fox from the front of the car.
The animal had been trapped in the grille for several miles.
Three firefighters carefully extracted the limp fox from the grille before stroking it and checking for broken bones.
The fox was taken to the Wildlife Research Laboratory at the Federal University of Uberlândia, located north of São Paulo, Brazil.
Despite still being alive at the time of the rescue, veterinarian Márcio Bandarra said it died shortly after arriving at the animal centre before they could carry out an emergency operation, as reported by Need To Know.
The research centre will confirm the animal’s exact cause of death once they have received the results of the autopsy.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Diego Jorge said there will be no action taken against the mother as there was no intent or negligence on her part and the collision did not constitute an environmental crime.
He also pointed out that she contacted the appropriate authorities as soon as she realised the animal was trapped in her grille and still alive at the time.
READ MORE: Ex-football star dies aged 30
