SWTPfox - by Laura Elvin<br /><br />A plucky fox was forced to swim 300m to dry land after it got cut off by the tide on a beach.<br /><br />The Mull Wildlife Group was on a sightseeing trip when members spotted the "orange head" out on the rocks.<br /><br />The handsome fox was stranded out at sea after seemingly getting trapped while lying in wait for birds off the beach in Longniddry in East Lothian, Scotland.<br /><br />Nancy Somerville, 70, and her friends watched as the fox dipped its paws in the water - and recoiled at the freezing temperatures.<br /><br />But with the waves lapping at the fast-disappearing outcrop, the wild animal was left with no choice but to leap into the water.<br /><br />They watched as the little creature swam the distance to the shore - stopping on a rock on the way - before scarpering away to dry off, on Thursday (8).<br /><br />Retired community worker Nancy, from the Isle of Mull, said: "He looked really quite healthy apart from his tail being pretty wet.<br /><br />"It looked like it wanted to get into the water. It dipped its paw in and decided it was too cold but eventually it took the plunge.<br /><br />"By this time the tide was coming in more and more. It was getting cut off.<br /><br />"It was quite something to see."<br /><br />Nancy said the wildlife group speculated the fox was hunting for birds when it got cut off from the shore and they watched it for around 30 minutes.<br /><br />ENDS
