Caretaker wears fox mask to feed milk to a rescued fox cub. Here’s the sweet reason behind it

A rescue centre got a call about an abandoned kitten being admitted to the vet. However, it later turned out to be a neonatal fox cub.

A video of a caretaker wearing a fox mask to feed milk to a rescued red fox cub was shared online. Richmond Wildlife Center shared the post and a descriptive caption explaining the reason behind the costume. The organisation wrote that this practice is followed to make sure that "the orphans that are raised in captivity do not become imprinted upon or habituated to humans" and can be released in the wild in future.

The image shows a man wearing a fox mask feeding a rescued fox cub milk. (Facebook/@Richmond Wildlife Center)

The centre wrote in a Facebook post that they received information about an abandoned kitten being admitted to the vet. However, later, they realised that she was a neonatal fox kit.

"Her umbilicus stump is still attached. She weighs just 80 grams, her teeth are not in, her eyes are sealed, and she is deaf at this age. She is barely 24 hours old," the organisation added while talking about the condition of the kit when she was rescued.

In an update, they added that the kit is progressing well. They also explained, "It's important to make sure that the orphans that are raised in captivity do not become imprinted upon or habituated to humans. To prevent that, we minimise human sounds, create visual barriers, reduce handling, reduce multiple transfers amongst different facilities, and wear masks for the species." The video shared shows an individual in a fox mask feeding milk to the cub.

Take a look at this video of the fox kit:

The staff at the centre take turns to wear the fox mask to attend to the kid, reported CNBC. They have also placed a stuffed toy near the cub to mimic the rescued fox's mother.

Since being shared, the post has gathered nearly 3,000 views. The video has also accumulated tons of likes.