Man who cut the frozen fox out of the river says he was highlighting the power of nature
Jäger Franz Stehle and his son used a chainsaw to carve the creature out of the ice
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The man who cut the frozen fox out of an icy German river has responded to critics by claiming he is displayed the animal as a warning of the power of nature.
The striking photo of a ginger fox perfectly encased in a block of ice made headlines around the world earlier this week.
The hunter had strayed onto the thin ice covering the river Danube, in Germany, and fallen in to meet an icy death.
Jäger Franz Stehle, who runs a guesthouse mere metres from the river edge, first spotted the creature in December.
He returned a few days later with a chainsaw and with the help of his son, he carved the fox out of the water.
“I saw the fox's back shimmering from the ice," the 61-year-old told the German tabloid Bild. “I took him out with a chainsaw at the beginning of January."
After freeing the fox from its icy grave, he said the fox was not completely frozen, as its legs were not encased in ice.
Mr Stehle said: "We put him in a tub with water, so they also became ice."
Some have claimed the incredible ice sculpture is a fake,
“So the animal broke through thin ice and four days later was cut out of ice over two feet thick," one person claimed on social media. “Something’s not right here. No, it’s a fake."
“This was not cut out of a frozen river.”
Another wrote: “Doesn't look like that ice block came out of a river to me.”
And a third said: “Damien Hirst is behind this.”
But Mr Stehle maintained the animal died of natural causes after falling in the river.
"The animal was probably curious of the brittle ice and broke in," he told Bild. “When the ice is thawed, we have to give the fox into an animal body removal plant."
And he defended displaying it outside his house, saying it was a warning to be careful of the ice.
He said: "I wanted to put it on the bank, as a memorial, so that no one dares to go on the ice. People should have respect for nature.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments