LONDON - A death-defying fox clambered up Britain's tallest skyscraper and lived the high life on the 72nd floor of the tower in central London for nearly two weeks, officials revealed Friday.
The intrepid animal climbed to the top of the Shard, which is more than 288 metres (945 feet) high and still under construction, where it enjoyed panoramic views over the British capital and lived off builders' scraps.
It managed to outfox its captors for almost a fortnight until February 17 when it was finally put into a cage and brought down from the tower, which will be the tallest skyscraper in Europe when it is complete.
It is believed the fox climbed up the building's central stairwell.
The fox, dubbed "Romeo" by his rescuers, was caught by a local authority pest control team and taken to an animal rescue centre on the outskirts of London, said officials from Southwark Council in central London.
After a medical check-up, he was found to be unhurt and was released back into the neighbourhood surrounding the tower, close to his den and family.
"We were delighted to find that Romeo was in good health other than for the fact that he clearly hadn't found quite enough to live on," said Ted Burden, founder of the Riverside Animal Centre.
"We gave him a thorough medical, a few good meals and explained to him that if foxes were meant to be 72 storeys off the ground, they would have evolved wings."
Following his release, the fox simply "glanced at the Shard and then trotted off in the other direction," added Burden.
Image (not Romeo): Allison Bailey / via Flickr