Gardener shocked after discovering adorable baby visitor left alone in garden beds: 'Thank you for helping this little wild angel'

One gardener was surprised to find an unexpected visitor in their garden bed: a baby fox all alone.

Creator CM (@ch8ps1) shared a video about the experience on TikTok. "When you find a baby fox cub in your garden crying for its mum," they wrote. The clip shows several shots of the small, furry creature huddled near a fence behind bushes and the edge of a deck.

Having wildlife visit your yard is one of the amazing benefits of rewilding the space with native plants.

In addition to growing strong and vibrant with far less water than grass and needing much less care, native species feed pollinators, which attract an array of birds, beneficial insects, and sometimes other small animals such as frogs and rabbits to your yard. They're good for the ecosystem, and they're also wonderful to watch.

@ch8ps1 Fox sanctuary told me to keep him warm outside and his Mum should come back for him overnight 😖 #fox #foxcub #vixen #fyp ♬ New Home - Frozen Silence

It's not as common, of course, to have larger animals including foxes visit during the day. This was an unusual circumstance, and CM wasn't sure what to do.

Luckily, they took the correct first step, contacting a local fox sanctuary for advice about how to handle the situation. Based on details about the fox kit, such as its location and condition, the organization was able to give CM instructions.

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It advised CM that the circumstances weren't as bad as they appeared. "Fox sanctuary told me to keep him warm outside and his mum should come back for him overnight," they wrote.

According to a followup video, the sanctuary also told CM to leave out dog food and water, which they did.

That night, at around 3 a.m., the mother fox returned. CM's security cameras picked up the beautiful fox exploring the yard, including the moment when her kit's cries got her attention and allowed her to locate it in the small bed CM had set up.

Commenters were happy to see the reunion. "It's so sad that people just treat foxes as vermin," one user said. "We humans are the ones that have stolen their habitats and left them with nowhere to be. Thank you for helping this little wild angel."