FOUR tiny fox cubs are being nursed backed to health after the death of their mother left them “frozen” and fighting for survival.

The cubs are being cared for at the Wildlives rescue centre in Thorrington where they were taken by the RSPCA on Saturday.

The orphans were discovered in a back garden in Southend by a concerned resident who called the RSPCA.

Rosie Catford, of Wildlives, spent the night trying to warm the cubs which she described as “frozen solid” when they first arrived.

“The RSPCA volunteer who brought the animals in to us first thought they were dead,” she said. “When she heard the faintest squeak from one of them she put them in the footwell of her car with the heater on full blast.

“We’ve had them in an intensive care unit overnight and they’ve been under infra-red lights and injected with warm fluids to raise their body temperatures.”

The fox cubs, which are being bottle fed, will be kept at the rescue centre for several months before being taken to a safe release site such as the fox project in Kent.

“We think their mother must have died because they usually take great care of their young underground,” said Ms Catford.

Staff at the centre have named the cubs Freyr, Zeus, Flora and Selene after ancient gods and goddesses.