HE sleeps on a purple fleece with a toy kangaroo for company, but this little fox cub is not destined for the cushy life of captivity.

Thanks to dedicated care from staff at the Otter, Owl and Wildlife Park in Ashurst, this orphan has a good chance of being restored to a normal life in the wild.

He was handed into the park in Deerleap Lane by a dog walker who found him, cowering and alone, in woods near Dibden Purlieu.

Park spokesman Ed Heap said: "The lady did just the right thing. She waited some time - making sure the cub was safe from predators - to be certain the vixen was not coming back for him.

"Mothers will usually find their way back to a baby if they can, so maybe this one's mum was killed on the road. We have no way of knowing."

The cub's next home will be one of the RSPCA's specialist wild animal units, where he will join a pack of other orphaned fox cubs.

"Humans can't teach him to be a fox. He needs to learn that from other foxes. When he's ready he'll be released in an area far from hunts," said Ed.

Staff at the Otter, Owl and Wildlife Park are happy to offer help and advice to people who find an abandoned animal. Call 023 8029 2408.