It wasn't the Green line but a bus that took one lost fox from McGill Metro to Île Sainte-Hélène Friday night thanks to a little help from police.

The fox was spotted on the tracks on Friday evening and, at 9:30 p.m., police were called to help.

When they arrived, they found the fox on the tracks, on the side headed toward Honoré-Beaugrand.

Police cut power for about five minutes so they could climb down on the tracks and save him.

Montreal police Const. Caroline Chevrefils said Metro police weren't shocked by the fox.

"In the subway, we're always ready to find anything," she said.

Police used rods with rope at the end to grab the fox, she added that it wasn't aggressive, she said.

After it was captured, police took the fox to Île Sainte-Hélène by bus, where it was released into the wild.

Chevrefils said it's not clear how the fox ended up on the Metro.

What to do if you spot an animal

The SPCA's Anita Kapuscinska said she's pleased police intervened to help the fox.

In other cases, however, people shouldn't automatically call animal control or police when they spot an animal outside its natural habitat, Kapuscinska said.

"People often panic when they see one and call us to remove it. Animals are territorial," Kapuscinska explained.

If the animal has access to food and water, it may be perfectly happy and not do well if it's relocated into another animal's territory, she said.

Also, if the conditions were right for one animal moving in, getting rid of it won't stop others from taking their place.

She advises people with sheds or steps to make sure there's no way an animal can get in and nest if they want to prevent animals around their home.