Deaf fox cub picks up sign language to fit in with her owner

An abandoned deaf fox cub has been given a new lease of life after learning sign language from her ‘Doctor Dolittle’ owner. Animal lover Beth Tyler-King was particularly keen to adopt the cub as she too is deaf.

‘She couldn’t have come to a better person,’ she said. ‘I took her to vets twice and they both confirmed she couldn’t hear – she didn’t respond to anything. She has enhanced my life. I can’t imagine life without her.’

The 43-year-old has given Milly a collar to wear with a tag telling people she is deaf and uses hand signals to get her to obey basic commands. ‘To get her to sit, I put my palm out facing downwards to say “sit” and she does it. When she is being naughty, I waggle my finger at her.’

She also shares her home in Hartland, Devon, with many other injured or sick animals that Miss Tyler-King is looking after. ‘My spare room is like my intensive care room,’ she said. ‘At the moment, I have got 30 hedgehogs, five owls, seven dogs, 14 cats, five pigeons, a dove, a parrot, and a squirrel.’ She also has 12 hens and two ponies. LINK