A British wildlife rescuer nursed a severely ill fox back to health; nine years later, she still seeks him out for a hug every day

Rescued fox Sweep and her wildlife rescuer Geoff Grewcock share a hug every single day at the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary in England, nine years after the young vixen arrived very ill. Grewcock believes she had been poisoned, and he spent the following year nursing her back to health. She recovered fully, but she grew so attached to him that she could never be released into the wild. Today she lives alongside the other wild animals being rehabilitated at the rescue centre owned by Grewcock, who is in his seventies, and her deep affection for him has never faded.Why Sweep keeps demanding affection from Geoff Grewcock and what he believes her hugs really meanWild beim Wild reports that Grewcock describes Sweep as a lovable, friendly fox. Most visitors are allowed to stroke her, but she is closest to him and treats the daily cuddle as non-negotiable. In his view, it is her way of thanking the team for the care she has received.When Sweep first arrived, she was so lethargic and unwell that Grewcock feared there was little hope. He bottle-fed her for months and gave her saline solution by injection at night. Medication and plenty of cuddles followed, and she pulled through.What a London wildlife writer saw when the fox and her carer hugged for around ten minutesJames Cook, a 30-year-old wildlife content writer based in London, visited the sanctuary in June and saw the bond first-hand, Wild beim Wild reports. He said Sweep is “simply totally in love with Geoff”. The pair hugged for about ten minutes while he was there. Cook added that getting so close to a fox is rare, because foxes are not meant to be kept as pets.Inside the Nuneaton sanctuary, an animal lover has rescued over ninety thousand creaturesAccording to the sanctuary’s website, Grewcock was born in 1950 and spent 25 years as a cash-in-transit driver, until a serious accident at work ended his career. He used the damages he was awarded to fulfil a lifelong wish to care for animals. In February 2001, he began building the sanctuary, which later became a registered charity.By his seventieth birthday in 2020, the website says, he had rescued more than ninety thousand birds and animals and taught thousands of children and adults about wildlife care. He looks after the wildlife around the clock, with no days off and no pay. Volunteers and a registered veterinary surgeon support him, and a specially equipped wildlife ambulance lets the team rescue injured, sick and trapped animals and assist the emergency services. The Parliamentary Review also featured the sanctuary as a best-practice example in 2020.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.