As spring rolls in across the UK, homeowners are excitedly prepping their gardens for warmer weather. Some are adding planter boxes and other new adornments, like bird baths, to their spaces. Others are faced with removing what’s already there to make way for something new.

Recently, one pair of homeowners in South East England decided to take apart a dilapidated shed before embarking on a full garden makeover. They removed the old timber plank by plank until they reached the shed’s foundation, unaware that it was occupied.

When they lifted the flooring, they were shocked to find a pile of tiny babies curled up beneath it. They halted the demolition and gushed over the seven tiny fox cubs sleeping under the shed’s floorboards.

The cubs’ mom was nowhere to be found, and — with their habitat accidentally destroyed — the homeowners worried that she wouldn’t return for them. So, the Good Samaritans called The Fox Project and jumped into action to save them.

“The cubs were carefully placed in an open-top box with a hot water bottle and monitored from a distance,” The Fox Project wrote on Facebook, “with the householders showing incredible dedication throughout the afternoon and evening.”

The homeowners kept a close eye on the box of babies, hoping to see their mother return for them. Hours later, their wish came true.

“After hours of anticipation, the moment we had all been hoping for finally arrived,” The Fox Project wrote. “The courageous mother returned and lovingly moved each of her precious babies to a new, safe location."

The homeowners and rescuers at The Fox Project were relieved to see the doting mother fox return for her babies, especially knowing that it doesn’t always turn out that way.

“Despite a disturbance to their den caused by a shed being dismantled, the quick actions of the householders ensured the safety of this beautiful fox family,” The Fox Project wrote. “While yesterday’s family was fortunate, some vixens may be too scared to return.”

Thankfully, the mother fox successfully relocated her tiny family to a new location, where they can continue to grow and thrive in the wild.

The Fox Project is grateful for the homeowners’ quick response and ultimately hopes to see fewer instances of fox cubs’ dens being destroyed by well-intentioned humans, offering this sage advice to anyone working on their garden in the springtime:

“This heartwarming success story serves as a reminder to everyone to postpone garden works like shed dismantling, patio renovations and similar activities for a few more months,” The Fox Project wrote. “Let’s give these beautiful families the space and peace they need to flourish.”