A fox cub was found in a box on the side of the road with a "heartbreaking" note written on a Greggs paper bag.
The abandoned male cub was discovered on Langley Moor in Co Durham on Wednesday with a note that read: "My mam died - help me."
He is now safe and being looked after by the RSPCA.
“It is heartbreaking what happened to this poor fox cub but we are so grateful that he was found and is now in a safe place where he can recuperate,” said RSPCA rescue officer Shane Lynn, who collected the cub and took him to the vets for a check-up.
“It is very sad that he isn’t growing up in the wild with his mum but we are so grateful to all the members of the public for contacting us about him and taking the time to rescue and save his life.
“It’s a lovely reminder that there’s so many wildlife friends out there.”
The RSPCA has reminded members of the public that if they see a wild animal that is believed to be orphaned, the animal should be monitored in case its mother is nearby.
If there are no signs of any parents after 24 hours, they should visit the RSPCA website for advice on next steps.
Earlier this month the RSCPA rescued a greyhound-lurcher cross in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, which an inspector described as the 'thinnest dog ever seen".
Lucas, a greyhound-lurcher cross, was terrified and could barely move when police discovered him abandoned on a road.
The canine had also lost 98 per cent of his fur loss due to an untreated skin condition, and had a broken tail bone which was so badly infected that part of it had rotted off.
"I was really shocked when I first saw him," RSPCA Inspector Ben Cottle-Shaw, who has 16 years of experience with the charity, said.
"He was the thinnest dog that I had ever seen which was still alive and on top of this he had an awful untreated skin condition which meant he was constantly scratching and had left him almost completely bald."
