A death-defying fox clambered up Britain's tallest
skyscraper and lived the high life on the 72nd floor of the tower
in central London for nearly two weeks, officials revealed on
Friday.
Fox enjoys high life on Britain's tallest
tower
The intrepid animal climbed to the top of the Shard, which is
more than 288 metres (945 feet) high and still under construction,
where it enjoyed panoramic views over the British capital and lived
off builders' scraps.
It managed to outfox its captors for almost a fortnight until
February 17 when it was finally put into a cage and brought down
from the tower, which will be the tallest skyscraper in Europe when
it is complete.
It is believed the fox climbed up the building's central
stairwell.
The fox, dubbed "Romeo" by his rescuers, was caught by a local
authority pest control team and taken to an animal rescue centre on
the outskirts of London, said officials from Southwark Council in
central London.
After a medical check-up, he was found to be unhurt and was
released back into the neighbourhood surrounding the tower, close
to his den and family.
"We were delighted to find that Romeo was in good health other
than for the fact that he clearly hadn't found quite enough to live
on," said Ted Burden, founder of the Riverside Animal Centre.
"We gave him a thorough medical, a few good meals and explained
to him that if foxes were meant to be 72 storeys off the ground,
they would have evolved wings."
Following his release, the fox simply "glanced at the Shard and
then trotted off in the other direction," added Burden.