The sorry-looking animal had been sighted on several occasions scavenging for food on the beach, prompting locals to organise teams of volunteers to try and catch it.
Over the past few weeks the Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation (ICNF) had tried several techniques to try and capture the elusive fox, but in the end it was a rubbish bin that saw the animal being caught, when it jumped in after food that had been discarded moments earlier by tourists and became stuck.
Local authorities were called in and the fox was taken to the RIA wildlife conservation and recovery centre in Olhão where it is receiving treatment for a range of diseases, including wasting syndrome, scabies, moderate parasitic burden, conjunctivitis and diarrhoea.
However, the centre is confident that despite being very poorly, the young animal will make a good recovery, saying its prognosis is “favourable.”
RIA said it welcomes any donations from the public to help the centre keep helping animals.