British wildlife rescuer and fox share daily hugs nine years later
A fox named Sweep continues to seek affection from Geoff Grewcock at a wildlife sanctuary in England after being nursed back to health.
A fox named Sweep and wildlife rescuer Geoff Grewcock share a hug every day at the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary in England. According to the Times of India, the daily interaction began nine years ago when the vixen arrived at the centre in a severely ill state.
Grewcock, who is in his seventies, believes the fox had been poisoned. He spent a year nursing her back to health by bottle-feeding her for months and administering saline solution via injection at night. While she recovered fully, she became so attached to Grewcock that she could not be released into the wild.
Sweep lives at the sanctuary owned by Grewcock alongside other animals being rehabilitated. While most visitors are permitted to stroke the fox, Grewcock says she is closest to him and treats their daily cuddle as non-negotiable. He believes the affection is her way of thanking the team for their care.
Wildlife content writer James Cook visited the sanctuary in June and observed the pair hugging for approximately ten minutes. Cook stated that Sweep is "simply totally in love with Geoff" and noted that such closeness is rare as foxes are not meant to be kept as pets.
Grewcock began building the sanctuary in February 2001 using damages from a work accident that ended his career as a cash-in-transit driver. The sanctuary, which became a registered charity, has rescued many birds and animals and provides wildlife education to thousands of people.