A young fox named Chance, struck by a car in England, is gradually coming back to life thanks to hydrotherapy sessions in a pool, infohub.kz reports.
According to Good News Network, the injured animal lay on a road in Nottinghamshire for several days and nearly died. Veterinarians seriously feared the cub would have to be euthanized because of paralysis in its hind legs.
However, volunteers at the Mansfield Wildlife Rescue center took the animal under their care and developed a special rehabilitation program for it.
The key element of the treatment was hydrotherapy sessions at the Mansfield Canine Centre. In a specialized pool for dogs, the cub, supervised by a handler named Chelsea, is relearning how to move its legs. In water, buoyancy reduces the strain on joints and muscles, helping the animal regain sensation.
Chance can now already paddle with its hind legs and bear weight on them. To preserve its chance of returning to the wild, volunteers are minimizing the animal's contact with people.
It is noted that this summer the region has seen a rise in collisions with wild animals — because of the heat, they are forced to look for food near roads.